η τελική στάση (The Final Stand)
by dragonheart1998
Summary: Multiple crossovers. Mainly Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Ranger's Apprentice and Lord of the Rings. An enemy that would annihilate all approaches. Unite all the worlds to fight the common enemy. Sable will bear the terrible burden of leading them all. But she's riddled with hidden weaknesses? Will she choose to serve the darkness? Or would she remain loyal to the light, to herself?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

**Chapter 1: The Return of Sable**

AD 2010

She was back.

The one that made it to Camp Half Blood at the age of three. The one who possessed an exceptional mind and level of skill. It was said that not a single soul at Camp could even get close to breaching her defences when they battled with their swords. Those that witnessed her at the archery fields saw her hit her targets arrow after arrow. Her targets that can reach up to almost five kilometres away. And it was not uncommon for her arrows to directly pierce through the shaft of the arrows already stuck to the target. And others mentioned about her superiority in battle strategies. Every single team she was in for capture the flag, the team would seem to win with ease. Mostly credited to some of the most flawless plans she had that would ensure her teammates would reach the flag easily. She was regarded as nothing short of a legend.

Yet, apart from her prowess in the battlefield and the various competitions held at camp, nobody knew anything else about her. The campers had no clue of her background, her past. They did not even know her name. She kept her distance from the rest. And no one dared to approach her. Possibly because of the aura that she constantly emits. A powerful aura that was equivalent to the gods. Some thought she had an aura even more powerful than the gods. But none dared to mention that. For fear of the retributions if the gods knew that their children felt a mere five year old girl was stronger than them. The only one that ever saw that was remotely closer to her, was Chiron.

Respected for her power and natural leadership, she was recognised by everyone as the leader of the Camp. Including Percy Jackson, who had managed to spend his first year at camp with her after his adventure with the lightning bolt. When she vanished into thin air after her sixth birthday, no one ever heard from her again. It was as if she was wiped off the face of the planet. Even when the Camp was battling Kronos, and after Kronos was defeated, she did not appear. A few years after her departure, many completely forgotten about her. After all, they had more worrying matters plaguing them like the imminent war approaching, than a child that went missing.

And now, seven years later, she has return. Looking stronger, harsher and more dangerous as ever. She has returned not long after the arrival of Jason Grace, and the disappearance of Percy Jackson.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

"Sable." That was the only sign Chiron gave to the twelve year old girl approaching him. The girl did not see offended or surprised at Chiron's cold demeanour towards her. In fact, her face remained expressionless, and as stone cold as Chiron's greeting towards her.

Sable stood right next to him, turning to face the Canoe Lake. The cool, comforting breeze that was gently greeting her did nothing to dispel her worries. Especially the main subject of her worries she would be mentioning to Chiron.

"Where have you been all this while, Sable? I have been desperately trying to contact you for the past few years. When the Camp needed your help, when I needed your help, where in Hades were you?" Chiron attempted to keep his cool, but soon exploded into a rant. "Why! Why did you abandon us when trouble was coming? And you did not even have the decency to leave a message. It's not like you. Running away from trouble! Not bothering about me. I even wanted to think that the reason you let us suffer is because you were dead rather than because of the fact You Don't Care!"

"It's my thirteenth birthday tomorrow." Sable interrupted, not looking at him in his eyes.

That one sentence robbed the centaur of his voice, rendering him incapable of throwing further accusations at Sable.

"I…I…I have forgotten. How are you feeling right now?"

Sable finally turned to look at Chiron in his eyes. After so long, he still could not help himself from flinching every single time he look into her eyes. Sable's eyes are one of the most beautiful, yet dangerous things he ever witnessed. If anyone looked closely, her irises never have a definite colour. Constantly shifting and changing, there was literally a symphony of lights occurring in her irises, a great sight to behold. Yet, there was underlying darkness. The symphony of lights is often interrupted by sudden bursts of black. When Sable was frustrated, upset, or in pain, the blackness would appear even more prominently. If Sable was feeling intense negative emotions, the blackness would overcome all the other colours, leaving the irises to bear a solid black colour that seemed to promise danger. The more intense her emotions, the more danger her eyes seemed to pose. Chiron did see it happen before. Once. That pair of eyes with pure black irises still haunted his dreams. Sable's eyes also seemed incredibly ancient. Many say that our eyes are the windows to our souls. The darker the eyes one possess, the darker the experiences one has. And Sable's eyes reflected that she had been through immense suffering. An experience no youths should ever have.

And at that moment, Sable's eyes were black, with only a hint of colour poking through the darkness.

"I… I don't know. Chiron. I am so confused. I didn't get the same foreboding feeling I had previously. It seems as though… that this time, everything will be different."

Sable did not wait for Chiron to respond.

"It seems that this would be the final one. The final one I will ever experience. The signs are everywhere, Chiron. The night before I left camp, I saw it. I saw it on my mirror. He's waking. My time is coming. And I am terrified. So, I left camp immediately. I need to start preparing without any distractions. I need to make sure that I am emotionally and physically ready. This camp is a distraction. I had to leave. I wasn't ready back then to handle both my emotions, my future, and the camp. I promised myself I will only return when I am ready."

Sable went silent, allowing Chiron a moment to take in the bomb she had just launched at him.

"You're sure he's waking?"

"Yes."

"But when we were fighting the Titans…"

Sable gave an exasperated sigh. "You know that it was not my fight. I cannot interfere. Besides, your heroes have performed exceptionally well without my help. Besides, I had… had to attend to another crucial matter. In the time I was gone, I have kept up my training. Making myself stronger so we have a chance against him."

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, Chiron could not help but mention an old joke, with a slight grin on his face. "Still managing with four hours of sleep per day?"

"Oh no. I figured four hours was too much. Couple of hours a day." Sable grinned in response.

"I do hope you are not serious and you are not trying to kill yourself."

"I am, like always, deadly serious. And I don't need to try to kill myself. My enemies had made plenty of attempts to do so.

Chiron shut his eyes, struggling to ask Sable the pressing question on his mind.

"Yes. I had everything to do with the disappearance of Perseus. You should remember that I do have the ability to read minds. Hera did owe me a favour. The rise of the giants and Gaia is the perfect opportunity for me to start building my forces against him. Perseus is possibly one of the greatest demigods to thread upon the Earth. He has to be pushed further, to be prepared for greater responsibilities. Plus, his disappearance would allow the two camps to have a chance against Gaia. I'm helping the camp, Chiron. I always am."

Chiron looked at the Canoe Lake with his sunken face, looking older than ever.

"I have enough to absorb for one night. Will you… will you still be here tomorrow?"

Sable only gave a slight smile, and made to walk away. "I'm pretty sure I would not be leaving any time soon. But, sometimes, I really wish that it will be like all my previous times. It seems that his awakening is inevitable. Funny really, I have always resented this curse. But this time, I really wish with all my heart that I will die tomorrow. When the clock strikes midnight and I turn thirteen, I sincerely hope I will die."

With that, Chiron watched with a heavy heart as Sable strode into the trees, until he could see her no more.

'The Final Stand' will feature many characters from several of my favourite series, namely Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan), Harry Potter (JK Rowling), and Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien). A few characters from Ranger's Apprentice(John Flanagan) will also be present. This is my 5th attempt trying to write this story. I started developing the idea for this story when I was nine, after reading Harry Potter. I spent much of my free time in the past 7 years developing the story further, and editing it. Strange how the plot becomes darker and darker the older I become. Sigh. Hope you guys stick around. This is going to be a pretty long story~~~

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)


	2. Chapter 2 The Light

**Chapter 2: The Light**

_A powerful soul rising from eternal sleep_

_Consumed by Darkness_

_He can destroy all, He can control all_

_He will envelope the world in darkness once again_

_But the light in the shadows will emerge _

_Stronger than ever_

_With the slash of the blade, a drip of blood_

_Will the Darkness be chased _

_Will His mind be cleared_

_And foe turns into friend_

Chaos. That was the name that ruled the Ounttav for eons, and the state of the Ounttav during his rule. The Age of Darkness. Where only Darkness was present. All that existed only felt pain, suffering, despair and utter desperation to break out of this cycle of hopelessness. The Resistance, made up of those that were utterly bitter about Chaos' rule, rose, bent on destroying Chaos and his harsh regime.

However, The Resistance became fragmented. The leaders increasingly grew more desperate for power. All were fixated with being the one responsible for the downfall of Chaos, and assuming the prestigious title of being the ultimate ruler of the Ounttav. Blinded by their greed for power, betrayal and power struggles within the Resistence slowly ripped apart the effort. The Resistance crumbled without Chaos even lifting a finger.

Chaos was not merciful. Every single member of the Resistance was enslaved by Chaos. By inflicting darkness into their very souls, Chaos was able to manipulate that darkness and have them carry out his will. The broken Resistance, once the strongest enemy against Chaos, has completely succumbed to darkness and the power of Chaos. A new age began. The Age of Chaos. Where Chaos made to enslave every being in the Ounttav. Where every being that had not been inflicted by darkness had to live in fear. Fear of those already under Chaos' power, known as the Dark Ones. They had the power to strike darkness into their souls, turning them into emotionless, merciless killing machines. Into mere weapons for Chaos to maintain his reign.

Out of all this fear and chaos, a new leader, Erebos, rose. Erebos was the only one able to resist the power of Chaos as the darkness within his soul was too prominent, wild, making it impossible for Chaos to control. Erebos was a key force driving the new movement to overthrow Chaos-The Rebellion. Erebos constantly fought with Chaos for control over the darkness in the powerful army of the Dark Ones. And it is not uncommon for Erebos to succeed. Erebos started to turn the Dark Ones against their original master and rallied all in the Ounttav to fulfil his cause – creating a new order in the Ounttav, where Chaos will cease to exist. Gradually, many started to recognise Erebos as the Lord of the Ounttav.

Chaos was furious and came down hard on those collaborating with Erebos. By draining out their souls and leaving them existing only as a broken, empty, utterly pathetic and useless body. Instead of quelling the sentiments of rebellion, Chaos' actions fuelled it instead. As the threat of Erebos grew, Chaos knew he had to take a drastic measure to subdue him and his forces. Even if that meant introducing another powerful force in the Ounttav. His ultimate weapon. A weapon that would break the hold of both Erebos and his control over the Dark Ones. A weapon, he knew, that cannot be controlled by Erebos. Yet, Chaos failed to realise that he himself did not possess the ability to control the new force he was going to unleash.

Eyttioa, the first light of the Ounttav, emerged from Chaos itself. Though born from darkness, not a hint of it was present in her soul. She possessed a pure light soul. Capable of true love, care, compassion, and most importantly, to help others overcome the darkness in their souls. She was Chaos ultimate weapon. Chaos had created the first being that could rival the power of darkness.

Upon seeing the darkness in the souls of many beings in the Ounttav, Eyttioa began using her light to help many drive out the darkness within their souls, by tempting the darkness to infiltrate and infect the light in her soul. The moment the darkness came in contact with the light, it vaporized and cease to exist.

Erebos was stunned. With her creation, his forces that were once completely under his control broke free from his spell. Erebos fled to the Lands of Exile, the only place he knew that cannot be controlled by Chaos and Eyttioa, where he successfully escaped the wrath of Chaos and the retribution he deserved.

Eyttioa did not only manage the feat of conquering darkness. She even went on to restore the peace in the Ounttav. Having no desire to claim power, she knew that the only way to fulfil her goal was for Chaos to become a fair and just leader. So, Eyttioa began her attempt to drive out the darkness from her own master, Chaos, without his consent.

Eyttioa enjoyed much success initially. The darkness in Chaos was eager to corrupt the blinding light soul of Eyttioa, leaving Chaos to possess less darkness in his soul. Eyttioa convinced Chaos to divide the Ounttav into three sectors: Ttowta, Oeutepos and Tpitos, and to grant control of each sector to the leaders of his forces. She hoped that the leaders would see this as a peace offering, and would be more willing to work together with a more just leader to maintain the peace in the Ounttav.

Eru Ilúvatar, the leader of the Dark Elves gained control of Tpitos. The Dark Elves used to be an independent force that were trying to expand their sphere of influence in the Ounttav. Chaos made an agreement with them that if they served him, he would gradually relinquish some control over the Ounttav to them. They became Chao's elite force and had a reputation for being the best fighters in the Ounttav. Upon realising that Chaos honoured their agreement due to the influence of Eyttioa, they decided to thank Eyttioa by offering to serve as her personal bodyguards. To dedicate their force to protecting the first light of the Ounttav. The Dark Elves became so loyal to Eyttioa that she even trusted them to harbour some light in their soul, trusting that the darkness present inside them will not be tempted to infect the light. Thus, the Dark Elves became the second beings in the Ounttav to possess a hint of Light within their souls.

Ttowta was granted to Gaia and her giants, providing that they created a world where their inhabitants would experience peace. Initially, Gaia did exactly that. She created new galaxies and new planets for the inhabitants of Ttowta to live on. On the surface, Ttowta seemed like a sheep. Docile, gentle, and a seemingly perfect place for anyone wanting to enjoy a peaceful life. A place not affected by either darkness or light. Yet, on the inside, darkness was looming. Unknown to Chaos and Eyttioa, she created a planet of darkness, Planet Earth. A land similar to the state of the Ounttav in the beginning stages of Chaos rule. Gaia was set on becoming the next lord of the Ounttav, but she knew she did not have the power to openly oppose Chaos and Eyttioa. Yet. She knew she had to wait and play her cards right. She had to wait for the right moment to strip off the sheep skin and unleash the wolf inside.

Chaos maintained in control of Oeutepos, which became the main base of his operations. Oeutepos was located in the centre of the Ounttav, a strategic position that Chaos was not willing to give up. Eyttioa continued the process of drawing out the darkness of Chaos soul, not daring to replace it with light for fear Chaos would start viewing her as his enemy. Chaos sometimes still lashed out and caused havoc in the Ounttav. But the presence of Eyttioa reined him in and made him a better rule. Chaos began to feel more protective and proud of Eyttioa, as he believed she was the one that helped cement his rule and made everybody in the Ounttav loyal to him. It was only thousands of years later where he finally admit that maybe Eyttioa meant more than just a tool to him. Chaos started to fear losing Eyttioa, the one that made him feel… calm. And less lethargic. Eyttioa had become an irreplaceable figure in not only his rule, but his own personal life. It was without a doubt that Chaos had developed a fatherly sort of care and concern for Eyttioa, if not love. For thousands and thousands of years, the peace finally took hold in the Ounttav. Until…

_I'm ready. I'm coming for both of you. And there is nothing you can do to stop me now._

Hope you enjoy this chapter Sable will be returning in Chapter 4 :)


	3. Chapter 3 The Fall of the Light

**Chapter 3: The Fall of the Light**

The wolf was anxious to pounce.

However, it knew that openly opposing Chaos and Eyttioa had the height of their power was suicidal.

So it waited and waited.

Finally, when the long forgotten enemy started stirring in the shadows, the wolf knew that its moment of glory is approaching.

The enemy lurking in the shadows – that is the ally the wolf needed to take down Chaos and Eyttioa, and seize more power in the Ounttav.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

AD 1000

She laid on the rocky surface, face-down, panting heavily and exhausted. She did not even have any scraps of energy remaining to even lift her head when she felt a sudden surge of darkness that seemed to rob her of her breath. Then, the darkness entered her and gave her the energy to get up on her feet to find the one she had been seeking for ages.

"_I have been waiting for you… Should I applaud you for your determination to find me? Or should I scorn you for being so absolutely foolish to hunt for me when Chaos and Eyttioa are keeping a close eye on you"_

Her eyes widened in fear, fearing that she would not be welcomed by her long-sought for ally.

"They do not know that I'm here. I have made sure of that."

"_Well, that's no surprise… After all, you have been hiding darkness from the Light and the Lord for so many centuries. I know why you are here. And what you require of me. I have only gained enough strength recently to oppose the Light and the Lady. Why should I risk my strength to collaborate with unworthy allies? Convince me, why should I help you?"_

Her eyes started blazing with fiery anger.

"The Light and the Lord deserved to be punished. Punished for weakening the darkness in the Ounttav. For forcing I and my sons into making a promise that would oppress the darkness even further. I did not fulfil the promise. All these years, I have been training. Creating the perfect platform for darkness to rise to power again. I have crossed thousands of galaxies just to hunt for you when I finally detected your location. That alone should prove how much I want to rid the Ounttav of their presence. Don't you want your revenge against the Light and the Lord? The opportunity for you to do so is standing right in front of you. Together, we will rule the Ounttav."

"_Your desire for punishing them is so overwhelming. It is almost as overwhelming as mine. And they have forgotten about my presence completely. It is time to remind them of who I am once again. Very well, rest assured that the Light and the Lord would be punished. And that you will get the opportunity for the wolf to finally taste its prey."_

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

"My lord, we need to start preparing. You can sense that trouble is approaching and threaten this paradise we have now." I glared at Chaos, determined to knock some sense into his thick skull. "If you think that there is nobody strong enough to endanger our rule, that kind of thinking will be the cause of our downfall."

"Alright! You have been telling me this for centuries. Yet, not a spot of trouble has happened. Everything is going well. I will remain the Lord of the Ounttav. I am strong enough to deal with those pesky little arrogant beings that dare to defy my position. Remember your place, Eyttioa, I am your lord." Then, Chaos' harsh expression soften. "Fine, I will start training the forces again so that you can be assured of their capability to defend at least Oeutepos. Will that appease you and hopefully stop your insistent requests?"

With a sigh of relief, and a slight smile on her face, I bowed and started heading towards Tpitos thinking that maybe Chaos' skull wasn't that thick after all.

"Wait, Eyttioa." I stopped in my tracks, sensing that Chaos wasn't quite finished yet.

"You have changed, Eyttioa. Why are you constantly suspecting that someone is trying to wreak havoc? You used to be so trusting, seeing the best in everyone around. It's not like you to be so suspicious. Have you ever suspected that your light …"

"Don't you ever. Ever think that my light is fading. Or that it is infected by darkness. For so many years, I have been serving you. I have been true to myself and my light. But dark times are coming. I can sense it. This time, the darkness will be more cunning. I am afraid. I am afraid I will not be able to drive out the darkness in the souls of others any longer. I fear for my light soul. Without it, there is little left strong enough to face the darkness. And there is certainly nothing left that have a slightest chance of defeating the darkness. That's why I'm so insistent on ensuring our forces can handle the darkness on their own. Why I am so 'suspicious' of darkness growing. My light is not weakening. Rather, the darkness is becoming stronger than me. We cannot ever allow this darkness to become stronger than us. I won't allow it."

Chaos seemed shocked after my outburst. I turned and ran to Tpitos, even more worried for the future and for the fate of the Ounttav.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

"My lady, I'm detecting sudden surges of darkness in the Ounttav. I'm afraid that the darkness is almost ready to strike."

Eru Ilúvatar's stone cold gaze was then directed at Eyttioa. If the harsh tone of his voice wasn't prove enough about the severity of the situation, his eyes did it for him.

"But who? Who is behind this? Gaia would not dare to do so when we are watching her every move. And she does not have the strength to bring back so much darkness in such a short period of time. Keep watching her. And make a trip to Ttowta again. Make sure she does not find out of your presence. Find out if she is collaborating with the one behind this darkness. I feared that Chaos would be in danger if we do not act soon."

"Any other instructions, my lady?"

"Stay safe. I cannot afford to lose one of my most trusted ally and friend during this crucial period. And I just can't help sense that your forces will need to fulfil their duties soon."

With a slight nod, the leader of the Dark Elves hurried away, not knowing the next time when he would be meeting Eyttioa, he would have failed in his mission.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

I hurried towards the main control centre in Oeutepos, worrying why Chaos had sent an urgent message to her. The moment I reached my destination, I felt overwhelming presences. Right next to Chaos, were 3 of the strangest creatures that I have never met before. All of them were donning grey robes, with equally grey bodies. They had no eyes, only eye sockets, and they sneered and smirked at Eyttioa, as if they knew and possessed control over her fate. Their aura reeked. It reeked of power.

"Eyttioa, meet my new advisors, the Moirai. They have the power to tell the future and control fate. They even know the past. They know about everything. You no longer have to worry about darkness taking over. We possess the power to control our future! And they have assured me that darkness will never have a chance of returning!"

But I wasn't paying attention to him. I was fixated with the eye in the hands of one of the 3. The one eye they shared possessed so much power. Possessed the power to change the fate of all that existed, to have control over our lives. Then it hit me. The overwhelming aura of darkness. They emanated darkness. My worst fear was indeed true. Darkness has returned. Stronger than ever. And they have already infiltrated into the mind of Chaos. Chaos has either trusted them enough to grant them the position of his advisor, or worse, blinded by the darkness and the prospect that he could control the future.

"My lord, you cannot trust them. Can't you feel it? They practically reek of darkness!"

"Eyttioa! I had enough of you. For so long I have listened to your advice, running the Ounttav as how you wished it to be. The Moirai freed me. Freed me from the prison you kept me in. They showed me what you did. You have the audacity to draw the darkness of out me, claiming to turn me into a better leader. You are a liar. You only wanted to claim power for yourself. When you have finished draining me of my dark energy, you will then convince me to give up my position to you."

"My lord, I swear that I have never harboured these intentions. All that I have done was to ensure peace in the Ounttav, for you to be a just leader for the Ounttav, not to be blinded by the darkness you possess…"

"You accuse of me being blinded by darkness. Have you forgotten? I was Darkness, until you came along and made me forget of who I truly am. I am Chaos, everyone should cower in fear at my feet. Because of you, no one respects me anymore. They only adore you. Their light. I am going to earn back their respect. I am going to destroy their light!"

My heart quickened, frightened at the prospect I have made a dangerous new enemy, an enemy I cared for greatly. "My lord, you know exactly how I feel about you. I will never do anything to hurt you." I made one final plea, hoping to break through the darkness clouding over his mind, trying desperately to draw out the darkness yet again.

For a moment, it seemed as though I have succeeded. Chaos' face softened, and he shut his eyes tightly, as though he was having an internal struggle.

"You are right, Eyttioa. I know how greatly you care for me." Then, his eyes started blazing and I knew, darkness has completely overwhelmed him. No matter how hard I try, the darkness would not be tempted by my light. It was the darkness I always feared will come. And this darkness was about to defeat me.

"But as long as you remain light, you will never true serve me, and carry out my will. You shall be turned into darkness." The Moirai started laughing. Laughing hysterically.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

I did not even have the time to scream. I was whisked away by a strong sudden gust of wind that robbed me of all my breath. Then, I was dumped mercilessly on a burning hot ground. I screamed. I have never experienced such extreme pain before. I felt something burning coursing through my body. It was as if my body was ripped into pieces, and my blood was replaced by hot fiery lava.

Then, something grabbed the back of my head and dumped me face first into what felt like a river.

Not just any normal river. A river of fire. A rough pair of hand grabbed hold of my neck and I couldn't breathe. In desperation for air, I opened my mouth. The molten fire gushed into my mouth so rapidly. It was as if the fire had a mind of its own to cause me even more pain. The pain grew so intense that I felt my mind ripping apart. I just wanted to give up, but the light in my soul kept me going. It would not allow me to surrender. As long as I possessed that light, I will continue to suffer. At that moment, I hated that light. For making me suffer. For not letting me stop the pain.

Then, I was dragged out of the river. I saw Eru Ilúvatar chained to the walls. His hands and legs were pierced by the sharp protruding sections of rocks on the walls. The rocks acted like knifes, piercing right through the muscle, bones and the skin. He was writhing with pain, and struggling to break free. I watched helplessly as his skin was slowly ripped apart by the accursed rocks on the wall. I tried to drag myself towards him, but my hands and legs had been rendered useless. The fire within my body had completely melted the muscles and the bones. I tried desperately to call out to him, but the fire had robbed me of my voice too.

I thought things could not get any worse. I had failed. Chaos had been taken over by darkness. And I could not do anything. My best ally was chained to the walls. And I could not do anything. My body was broken, and I could not do anything to stop my misery. Only my spirit and soul remained intact, the light refusing to bow to the darkness, even when everything else had. Then, I heard a voice. A voice I had long forgotten. A voice that sent chills throughout my body. Then, it finally dawned on me who I was facing with.

"_Eyttioa. The Light. So great and powerful. Powerful enough to turn my own forces against me. Even when reduced to this pathetic state, you still refuse to surrender. You served Chaos for eons. And how does he repay you. He damned you to eternal suffering. You created a world that can be easily broken by darkness. But don't you get it. The Light will only cause you to suffer. In the end, darkness will always rule. Come, join me. The forces of the Darkness will welcome you." _

Hope you enjoy this chapter  Sable will be returning soon and you wont be seeing Eyttioa in quite a while :P


	4. Chapter 4 Marked For Death

**Chapter 4: Marked for death**

AD 2007

In the dead of the night when hardly anyone was stirring, a lone figure donning a black cloak slowly made her way up the hill. Despite the merciless, particularly cold harsh winds continuously beating against her body, the figure did not make any attempt to hurry to her destination to seek shelter and warmth. In fact, she seemed hesitant to approach the castle looming in the distance. With the snow pattering down of her body like raindrops, she stopped in her tracks and shut her eyes. She then turned to face the wind, which seized the opportunity to attack her face in earnest.

"Even the wind hates me for what I am about to do." Sable sighed as she continued trudging up to the castle. To many, Hogwarts seemed as majestic as ever, especially when the dim lights of the castle made the thick layer of snow lying upon the grounds and buildings glitter endlessly. To Sable, Hogwarts looked even more haunting. Possibly because of the knowledge that the school was in mortal danger. Possibly because she knew that her plans to save the castle and its inhabitants would inflict much suffering on the people she cared for, and on herself.

"They have to survive. They must." Sable's hesitation to approach Hogwarts seemed to vanish with that thought. Her eyes started blazing with determination to carry out what she planned and her pace began to quicken. She did, after all, have an appointment with the esteemed headmaster of Hogwarts and it would not do for her to be late.

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"I am sure Severus would be delighted to know that you're back." Albus had a small smile on his face upon thinking how overjoyed he would be that his personal councillor has returned.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sable was quick to correct Albus. Albus shifted his gaze from the piles of paperwork he was handling, and directed it at Sable, his curiosity aroused. Sable's face did not betray any of her emotions, and she made no move to satisfy his curiosity. Instead, she just got up from her seat and started pacing around the room. Back and forth.

"Please spare my carpet. You're going to tear a hole in it, Sable, if you don't stop pacing. Besides, I can feel my eyes shutting already. Tell me why you have requested an audience with me in the middle of the night privately. Unlike you who can manage with a couple of hours, I need more of my beauty sleep."

"Well Albus, I think both of us can forget about getting any sleep tonight. You won't be able to do so after you hear what I have to say." Sable finally pulled out a chair and sat face to face with the elderly man.

Albus groaned. The knowledge that he was going to have a long night ahead of him made the slight throbbing in his head to become more and more prominent.

"I saw it. The entire Wizarding world would be annihilated seven years later. The Fates had marked your family and Severus for death. " Sable decided that she should just drop the bombshell on Albus and not delay any longer.

Albus' face ashen, making him seem a decade older in an instant. He stared at Sable in shock and gripped the quill in his hand so tightly that it broke into two and the tip pierced in his hands, and blood oozed out from the wound profusely. Images of his family dying around him floated to the surface of his mind as he watched his blood dripped on the table. He realised he was trembling. Trembling at the prospect of not being able to save his family. He had already taken every precaution to protect them. No one knew about his marriage, not even his closest friends. He even went to the extent of sending his daughter to a muggle family the moment she was brought into the world. Being marked for death is the worst curse the Fates can inflict on a mortal.

"No. No Sable. You must be mistaken…There must be some way to prevent that from happening."

"Albus. You're in denial. That won't help you save your family. There's no way to prevent it from happening. It already happened. And you know better than to doubt me, especially on matters like these."

"Sable. I know. But My Minerva, my child and Severus marked for death. I don't want to believe it. I won't be able to do anything to save them from death Sable. Can't you do something, Sable? Please… help them." Albus cried in despair, not caring to keep his emotions in check any longer.

"Get a grip on yourself!" Sable's harsh tone immediately pulled Albus out of his despair, and he allowed himself some time to rein in his emotions.

"There is a way to help them..."

"Tell me, Sable. You know that I will do anything to save them."

Sable bit her lip, clenching her hands. "You can do everything to save them, but it will not be enough. Those marked for death have to save themselves. You can only aid them. But after you know what you have to do, you might be more willing to just let your family die…"

Sable took a deep breath, before continuing. "Those marked for death usually end up losing their lives in an extremely painful way. The only way they can survive is when they experience the same intensity of pain when they are alive. The only way you can protect your family, Albus, is to make them suffer. To make them go through a hell lot of pain. To make them feel like dying instead of living. Only when they are suffocated by pain, would the Fates be more inclined to remove the mark of death from them, and allow them to continue living. To be unmarked for death."

Each sentence seemed to stab Albus in his heart. "You're telling me that in order to survive, they have to go through a whole lot of pain that will scar them for life."

"I don't think you understand. What they have to go through if they want to survive will not just scar them. It will most probably destroy them both physically and mentally. That's why the mark of death has always managed to rob so many lives. No one in their right mind would choose to go through so much pain to fight for their lives. When there is no guarantee that it would work and when they might have to continue living in pain for the remainder of their lives. They would rather choose to die so they can experience a short lived pain than a long one. Choosing to be unmarked for death is akin to suffering twice the amount of pain one will experience if they are just killed by the curse."

Albus sat slumped in his chair, feeling like he will never be happy again.

"Basically, you're telling me…to let my family die. That they might be better off dead than alive."

"Yes, they might be better off dead than alive. But no, I am not telling you to let your family die. If they have to die, they would rather lose their lives for a damn good cause than to lose it because of the cruelty of the Fates. They have to fight for their lives, Albus. They have to." Sable admitted.

Albus felt a sudden surge of anger coursing through him and the blood in his veins started boiling. "You're telling me that you want my family to go through so much potential pain in order to survive? To be unmarked for death? I would rather them die of the curse rather than be unmarked for death!" His explosion startled Fawkes and the portraits on the wall from their slumber.

Sable seemed unfazed by Albus' reaction. "You know exactly why I need them to be unmarked for death. Especially Severus. I will not be able to defeat him without your family and Severus. He is waking, Albus."

"So you want them to survive for your own selfish purposes?" Albus shot back, fuming at Sable's apparent lack of concern for his family.

"Don't you get it, Albus? He's waking! You think I would want Severus to be unmarked for death if I didn't need him, if the world didn't need him? This is also hard for me, Albus! I made it my personal goal not to ever let anyone suffer. Do you know how much I tried to look for alternatives? I hated myself. I hated myself for not being able to stop the Fates from marking them for death in the first place. I hate myself for being so despicable, that I will let Severus suffer so much." Sable slammed her hands onto the table, her eyes losing all its colour. And it got blacker and blacker by the second.

Sable's outburst shook Albus from his anger and grief. He realised that Sable was having an even harder time than him. She had no choice but to inflict suffering on the people she cared for. So that the world had a chance against a force that will crush them all.

"I'm sorry, Albus. I shouldn't have lost my temper. You are just as distraught as I am."

"No Sable. I'm sorry. You are already in so much guilt and pain, and I did nothing to ease it." Albus went up to Sable, giving the child the warm, comforting hug she needed.

Some of the blackness began to fade from her eyes, but only a slight tinge of colour could peek through the remaining blackness. Sable reluctantly broke from the embrace, gesturing Albus to sit again.

"Albus. Minerva, your child and Severus needs to be unmarked. There's no other way if you want to prevent even more death from happening."

"What do they need to do to be unmarked?" Though Albus was still torn between wanting to protect his loved ones and letting them suffer for the sake of the world, he knew he had to give in to Sable.

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The rising of the sun usually gives many the promise of hope. Hope for a better day, a brighter future. But for the two individuals in the office of the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the sun only indicated to them that they were a day closer to the impending doom of those that they loved. As the sun rose, Sable and Albus finally wrap up their discussion on how to unmark Minerva, his girl, and Severus for death.

"Remember, Albus, not another soul must know about this conversation and that I came back. Especially Severus. It is crucial that he does not know I have returned. Or all our efforts will be in vain" Albus could only nod his head, his head and heart aching with pain, completely drained.

"Understood. But he would have a much easier time with you to help him. Then again, you wanted to make his life a living hell. Rough times for Minerva, Severus and Hermione. How I wish there was another way. They are going to absolutely despise me. On another note, you are sure that you will still be here on your thirteenth birthday. I can't, I can't manage so much alone."

Sable gave a sad smile and made to leave. "Yes. I'm quite positive that I will still be here. They might hate you for now. But, it's going to be over soon. Hermione is already in her first year. Just six more years to go. I assure you that everything will be alright for you after that. But for me…"

"That's just the beginning of your troubles isn't it?"

"No, Albus. My troubles has already begun." With that, Sable sighed and disapparated, leaving Albus alone to his migraine and his worries of what was approaching.

This was an extremely challenging chapter to write. I am not sure if I explained the concept of being marked for death properly. Please give suggestions if you know how to phrase it better. Thank you. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)


	5. Chapter 5 Understanding

**Chapter 5: Understanding**

AD 2010

"Are you certain that your plan will work? Yes, it will work, my lady. I know what I am doing. Foolish insolent girl. Does she know how much she is asking from me? My family will turn against me and blame me for what is going to happen." Hera muttered under her breath. The Queen of Olympus, the god of marriages, was infuriated. Hera had a growing urge to circle her hands around the neck of who was causing her so much anguish, and strangle her.

"Then again, I probably won't be able to strangle her. Too fast and strong. Even for me." Hera sighed, staring gloomily out of the window in her private quarters. The view of the pure golden statues of her that reached an impressive height of fifteen metres did little to improve her mood. Those objects, no matter how breath taking they were, only served to remind her of another vile demigod. But she had to admit, Annabeth Chase did do a spectacular job in the reconstruction of Mount Olympus. Compared to the wreckage it had been after the Second Titan war, her home had never looked better.

"Damn the girl. Why did I have to owe her a favour and swear on the River Styx to repay it? Does she realise how much I value my family? Telling me to do things that will hurt them. Insufferable…"

"I am filled with guilt and sorrow for asking you to do things against your wishes. However, with all due respect, my lady, we both know very well that you have no qualms in hurting members of your family. Especially members that threaten your perfect family. I had absolutely no idea that you have such vehement objections against hurting your family, since you have displayed no hesitation to do so in the past. I give you my utmost, sincerest apologies." Hera groaned as she slowly turn to face the bane of her existence.

Hera glared at the offending figure standing a few feet away from her, not bothering to hide her distaste of the daughter of Zeus that broke into her private chambers. Sable did not seem to be affected by the fact that she has incurred the wrath of one of the most powerful gods. Sable stood motionless, a few feet away from Hera, smiling serenely at Hera, which irritated Hera to no end.

"What do you think you are doing? Who gave you permission to enter my chambers? The nerve of you. So you think you are more powerful than the gods now? Did you see what happen to those who thought that way?"

"My lady, I sincerely apologise if I happen to give you that impression." Sable sat down on a chair, gesturing Hera to do the same. Hera gritted her teeth, dragged a chair out with unnecessary force, before sitting on it. She knew that Sable was right. That only served to fuel her anger. Yet, Hera knew she would not be able to inflict any sort of suffering on her.

"What do you want?" Hera clenched her fists so hard that her nails pierced into the skin of her hands. Oh, how she would like to get her hands on that girl and pummel her to death. "Get this over and done with."

"So far, the plan is working. Jason Grace managed to gain the trust of the Greek camp. Perseus has just arrived at Camp Jupiter. Soon, the two camps will gain knowledge of each other. I have just made a visit to Chiron. He knows the gist of our plan."

"And does he approve?" Hera started in anger. "You are taking a huge risk in assuming the Greeks and Romans will get along. It is like you are mixing potassium and water together without having any safety precautions. A war will explode, you thick-headed girl. A war that would destroy any plans you have. Gaia will win."

"Chiron has never approved of anything I have done. Though he still supports most of my plans. I know what risks I am taking. But I also know that the seven will ensure that Gaia will fall. Even with the gods' Greek and Roman personalities fighting with each other, even with the two camps bracing for war with each other, they will be able to rise to the occasion and defeat Gaia. You should have more trust in your heroes, even if you do not trust me." Sable reassured Hera.

"You could have taken down Gaia alone. You are more than capable of that. Why do you want to drag the battle with Gaia and prolong our suffering when you could have ended it in an instant?" Hera shot bitterly at Sable.

"You know that this is not my battle. The consequences would be dire should I interfere."

"That's what you always say. That is the same excuse you always give when trouble happens." Hera muttered harshly.

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There was a long moment of silence. Sable's expression hardened and her eyes slowly darken. She stood up and started removing her most prized possessions from her back and placing them gingerly on the floor. A recurve bow and a quiver of arrows. Followed by a pair of fighting knives from the scabbard strapped across her back. Sable then reached for the sword hidden inside her cloak and drew it.

"What has these weapons got to do with the topic we were discussing?" Hera hissed as she leapt from her chair, slowly backing away from those accursed objects. Their very presence instilled a great sense of irrational fear in her. They seemed to promise not only death, but also a great deal of suffering and pain for every single one standing in the way of the weapons and their bearer. Even the gods. Yet Hera knew no weapons would be able to destroy the gods. There cannot be such weapons in existence.

The bow never seem to take on a definite shape. For a moment, it looked like a longbow, then a recurve bow. "Shadowhunter. Only when it is in the hands of the bearer would it take on a certain shape. Shadowhunter will only serve its bearer. It can transform into any type of bow the bearer wishes. The string is made from some of the strongest material on Earth. Unicorn hair, a thin string of mithril, and a strand of my own hair. Capable of reaching distances that no other bow will manage." Sable did not bother answering Hera's question, but started launching into the description of the objects that strike much fear in her.

"The Shafts of Death. These arrows will never run out. The quiver is specially designed to ensure that the arrows used are replaced. The arrows will be able to pierce through the toughest hides. The moment it pierces its target, the target has no chance of survival. A drop of liquid from the River Styx is injected into the body, effectively ending the target's life." Sable pulled out an arrow and started scrutinising it. Hera's mouth hung open, unable to make a sound. She had never heard of anyone being able to incorporate the power of the Styx into a weapon. She was so fixated by the arrow that she was startled when Sable started speaking again.

"Every single knife and sword I tried to use just didn't feel right. I took a couple of years to craft mine, the Soulreapers. They are considerably light, but still have enough weight so that enough force is applied to injure. The blades are made with a sheet of Celestial bronze, with Imperial gold lining the edge. Not even a dent can be made. The power of the sky, the sea, the earth, and the underworld are all infused into the blades. A thin film of moisture protects the blade from any form of damage. The moisture is formed using the liquid of all five rivers of the Underworld, and the blood of the gods. Ichor. These blades has the power to completely rip apart the souls of anyone it strikes. Anyone that possess a soul can be destroyed by these weapons. Including the gods, Titans, Gaia herself. It also has the ability to strike fear in those that face it…"

"Please stop. The fear that your weapons are emitting is too overwhelming for me to handle." Hera was shaking so badly that she had to use all her willpower just to stay on her feet, her face as white as a sheet. Sable finally took pity on Hera and with a casual wave of her hand, the weapons are removed from Hera's private chambers. Sable pulled out a chair and helped the shaking Hera to her seat.

"You should not have made those weapons, Sable. They are dangerous, way too powerful. They cannot be controlled. If that got into the wrong hands, the very existence of very being on Earth would be threatened, even the gods. They seem almost like weapons of darkness. No one can be strong enough to control darkness, even though many claim they can. Darkness overwhelmed every single one that try to control it." Despite having calmed considerably, Hera's voice still shook with fear.

"They are weapons of darkness. Nobody can deny the fact that the most effective and easiest way to defeat darkness is by using darkness. These weapons would only serve me. No other can wield them. I made sure of that. You should know better than to underestimate me, Hera. I have already managed to control darkness numerous times." Sable reassured the still shaken goddess.

"Yes, you managed to resist the temptation of darkness. You have no trouble controlling it. But are you completely unaffected by it? Yes, I admit you are strong enough to handle those weapons. But how would they diminish the light in your soul even further?"

"Compared to my experiences, these weapons won't even affect me. The darkness is filling up my soul. It has made me darker. Yet, the strength of my light remain unaffected. It has not diminished. It's merely being compressed. There will always be a barrier protecting the light part of my soul from the darkness. I think you do not need to worry about the weapons getting into the wrong hands." Sable's eyes grew darker, as memories of her past started replaying in front of her mind.

"You asked how does me explaining my weapons got to do with me not helping the demigods. Let's put it this way. Imagine if I depend on my weapons to resolve every single one of my problems. If I do not rely on my mind, my skill and my other powers. What will happen if my weapons are inaccessible, or ineffective? I would be crippled. I will no longer be able to overcome my problems. Yes, with my weapons, I can easily eliminate the threat of Gaia. Yet, precisely because of my power, which is enhanced by those weapons, I cannot interfere. I am going to give you the exact same reasons I gave Chiron. Those heroes need to have more first-hand experience in dealing with enemies that cannot be killed. Every single one must know fear and desperation. So when we face the real enemy, they will persevere and stand united against him. I need to know that they can be trusted, that they will not falter in face of a formidable enemy, and that they will not run away. You know that I cannot defeat him alone and I need the help of every single one that can offer help. I fear if I interfere, everyone will be over dependent on me to resolve all their problems. No one will be willing to fight against our most powerful threat if they think they can just depend on me to do so." Though Sable's face remained emotionless, her tone betrayed a hint of her hidden emotions. A hint of desperation. Her eyes darken even further, and a storm was brewing inside her irises.

Hera was speechless. She realised why Sable needed her to sacrifice her relationship with her family. She had let her hatred of Sable blinded her. She thought that Sable only wanted to inflict suffering on her and take the opportunity to show Hera that she is more powerful. She failed to be rational. She knew Sable still shown her and the gods a great deal of respect. No matter how many times she proved that she was more powerful, not once had she boasted about it. Not once had she tried to force her will on them. Sable was only focused on dealing with her greatest enemy. And she would do anything to increase her chances of winning, even if it meant harming herself and the people around her.

"I understand. I will continue to carry out the plan. Rest assured, I will not fail." Hera said, with new found determination in her voice.

Sable flashed her first true smile after entering Hera's chambers. "I am glad you understand. Now that I have achieved what I intended, I should be going. Much to do." Sable gave Hera a deep bow, before making her way to the door.

"Wait, Sable." Hera started hesitantly. "It's midnight. You are thirteen years old. And…you are still alive."

Sable stopped in her tracks but did not bother to face Hera.

"Just like I suspected. He is waking. True darkness is coming. Brace yourself, Hera. Pray that the Light will not fail. That it would not succumb to the darkness. Or The Ounttav will collapse into eternal darkness."

Chapter 5 is up :) After this chapter, the real action should be starting :) Hope you enjoy it:)


	6. Chapter 6 Start Anew

**Chapter 6: Start Anew**

AD 2010

The only source of light in the long-deserted school corridor was six flickering ceiling lights that desperately needed some form of maintenance. There shouldn't be a single student in the corridors of Lette after the sun sets. No one wants to lurk around in the school anyway. The minute the much anticipated bell rings, every middle school student hurtled for the door, eager to escape the place that seemed to drain their very life out of them.

Yet, though it was eight at night, three girls stood motionless in the corridor. None of them moved a muscle for an extremely long period of time. Two of them had their mouths hanging open and their eyes bulging out their socket. If not for the thick tension in the air and the enormous amount of practice the third has in schooling her emotions, she would be rolling on the floor, laughing, at how comical the twin sisters looked. The third opted to just maintain a straight face, and wait for the twin sisters to overcome their shock.

"Do you think she lost her mind?" Aralien turned to her younger twin sister, her tone still one of disbelief.

"No, I don't think she lost her mind. She definitely lost it." Amylin replied her sister, staring at the third girl as if she was madman that had escaped from the nearby asylum.

Amused, Sable just continued listening to the twin sisters endless bantering about how she was dropped on her head as a baby and how she was stuck in a fantasy world for quite a few minutes.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's getting late. I don't think any of us would fancy standing here any longer."

Aralien and Amylin just stared incredulously at Sable.

"You were the one that was so insistent that we have to stay behind in school to have that ridiculous little chat with you." Aralien muttered unhappily.

"Despite what the both of you think, I assure you that everything I said was true. That chat was not ridiculous. And it was definitely not little."

"Sable, you can't expect us to believe what you just said. We are orphans since birth. Our parents are dead. Amylin is the only family I ever had. Now, you are telling us our father is well and very much alive? That we are the offspring of a Greek god and a mortal? Anyone would find that ridiculous." Aralien told her friend exasperated.

"Don't forget. We also live in a world filled with monsters that are supposed to exist only in myths, and that we are under threat from those things." Amylin added.

"Yes, it might be too much for you two to take in. Since I am not convincing enough, I think something else should do the trick." Sable acknowledged.

"What will convince us to believe that bunch of crap?"

The tension in the air was palpable. Yet, Sable still flashed a small smile at the twins, leaving them utterly confused.

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The silence was broken by a snarl. The twins felt shivers crawling up their spine as they realised they were not alone.

"Look behind you."

Aralien, being the braver one slowly turned behind. She immediately grabbed onto Amylin for support, as she felt all the strength in her legs leaving, turning her legs into jelly. She furiously shook her head, trying to convince herself she wasn't in a nightmare, hoping the creature would just disappear. As Aralien opened her eyes, she realised she was in a nightmare that she cannot escape from.

The said creature was still there, still snarling, swishing its tail that was spitting venom. They realised that its tail was no ordinary tail. The creature had a real snake for its tail, and a goat's head, with horns that can impale anyone that crossed its way, attached to a lion's body. Yet, the most frightening part was the head. The head of a lion, snarling at them. Wisps of fire seemed to escape from his mouth. It slowly approached the twins, deliberately swishing its tail, instilling more fear in the both of them

"Aralien, I…I can't find Sable." Amylin choked in fear.

"She must be behind this. She is trying to get us killed." Aralien gritted her teeth, enraged.

The creature seemingly decided that it had enough of playing with its prey. Baring its fangs, it started to charge straight for the twins, with fire in its eyes and spewing from its mouth.

"Run!" Amylin cried, desperate to put a safe distance between her and the monster that was so eager to claim her life. Aralien flung her backpack, praying that it will distract the creature. But that was too much to hope for. A blast of fire from the head reduced it to a black, charred useless object. It did not do much to distract it, but it did annoy the creature. Greatly.

"That went well." That was the only thought going through Aralien's head as she watched the only weapon she had on hand land on the floor, completely destroyed. The monster then lunged for her, ready to rip her to pieces.

It occurred too quickly. One moment, the creature was ready to slaughter her. The very next moment, the monster just stood frozen with a confused expression in its face. Aralien just stared, utterly bewildered, as the monster started writhing in pain. Collapsing to the floor, the monster instantly turned into dust. It was gone.

"Where… Where did it go?" Aralien stared at the ground, still trying to comprehend what exactly happened.

"Tartarus. That's where all of them go after they are killed. Are you alright?" Aralien lifted her head, overwhelmed with shock. Sable was standing right in front of her, donning a plain black T-shirt and jeans, with her hair in a neat ponytail.

"Your eyes. They are… are…" Aralien's voice faltered as she shifted her gaze to the object Sable held in her hand. The sword seemed to be a source of light, emitting a glow made of pure blackness that hurt her eyes, and radiating an enormous amount of power. Aralien tore her eyes away from the sight, unable to look at it any longer.

"I'm sorry. Is this better?" The glow faded significantly until only a hint of it remained.

Before she could reply, she felt someone wrapping her into a suffocating embrace. "Thank goodness you are fine!" Amylin sobbed and gripped her sister even tighter.

"Amylin, I think you better let your sister go. She needs to breathe." Sable kneeled on the floor, gently prying Amylin from her sister.

Sable supported the twin sisters to their feet, who were still having much difficulty standing, still shaken from their encounter. In a blink of an eye, the three of them disappeared, leaving the corridors of Lette deserted once more.

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"Urgh, where am I now? Why does the world keep spinning?" Aralien groaned as she struggled to force her eyelids open. Amylin sat on a chair next to her bed, with her head in her hands, fast asleep. Aralien nudged her twin sister, causing her to jerk awake.

"Aral, you finally woke up." Amylin smiled in relief.

"Amy, what… what happened? Where are we now?" Aralien took in the surrounding in confusion. A wooden cabin filled with multiple beds, with red curtains drawn around some of them. The general silence was often punctuated with groans from some of the other occupants.

"You have been unconscious for a day. The sun has just set. We are at the infirmary. That's what the other campers call it. I'm not too sure myself. I have forgotten what happened too. I can only remember we were at Lette facing that horrible monster. What happened before and after that is all fuzzy. The other campers said we just appeared unconscious at the borders of the camp. " Amylin shrugged.

"What kind of camp are we talking about?"

"Erm, a camp for demigods. I think it's called Camp Half Blood."

"Do you really think demigods exist?" Aralien asked with a sceptical look on her face.

"I don't know, Aral. But if that monster we faced was real, I would not rule out the possibility that demigods do exist." Amylin sighed. "I better inform the healer you are awake."

"There's no need to do that. I'm here." The healer walked over, gracing the twins with a smile.

"You seem to be looking much better. I think just a day more of bed rest should do. I won't worry about her any longer if I were you, Amylin. I'm Will Solace, by the way. Son of Apollo and the resident healer at Camp Half Blood." The blond-haired teenage boy introduced himself with a grin on his face.

"I know how confused the both of you are right now, about this whole new world you are in. Trust me, after a while, you will get used to the fact that the Greek gods are not just in myths. Tell me, how did you two get here?"

"We don't know. All I remember was that someone was telling us that we are demigods, then this monster appeared and… I really can't remember." Aralien wrecked her brains, trying to remember what happened, but failed.

"Hmmm, memory loss. Well, never mind that for now. Since there's no one in need of my attention, you can ask anything you wish to know. Ask away." And that's exactly what the utterly baffled, confused twin sisters did.

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In the wee hours of the morning, many of the campers have long retired to the comforts of their beds. Yet, two figures remained standing on a small cliff overlooking the infirmary, one who was deep in thought, the other was fidgeting nervously.

"Why did you do that?" The figure on the right broke the silence, unable to curb his curiosity any longer.

"What did I do?" The figure on the left finally responded, turning to face Chiron with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not in the mood right now for another one of your mysterious conversations where you hardly reveal anything, Sable." Chiron groaned. "I get a splitting headache every single time"

Sable sighed. "The daughters of Zeus need to be introduced to the camp now. The war with Gaia is coming to a close. I thought it will save a lot of explaining if they faced a monster themselves. That's usually the fastest way to convince recruits, isn't it?"

"It is the fastest. But also the most scarring method. A chimera. Even some of our senior campers will be terrified of it. On another note, was it really necessary to remove their memories of you?"

"Yes. They cannot know who I am. I don't want my presence to be announced to the camp through their word. That would hinder me in gaining the campers' trust." Sable insisted firmly.

"Right. They will not be too willing to know you for who you are if they start suspecting you. There will be barrier between you and the campers. But why did you even befriend the twins in the first place?"

"I didn't know they were demigods, let alone daughters of Zeus. I wanted to have a normal school experience for once. I didn't bother sensing their auras to check if they are mortal. I thought there were no demigods at Lette. That's why I made the foolish move of befriending them." Sable replied, staring at the infirmary.

"Maybe it's a good thing you did. They already trust you to a certain level, which is useful if both of them are going to aid you in facing your enemy."

"Or not. They might feel betrayed and be more reluctant to trust me again. After all, I did leave them with the impression that I was trying to kill them. In addition, they are not going to be claimed by their godly parent. They will start to think that I have deceived them." Sable said, still not taking her eyes off the infirmary.

"The gods are occupied with their internal battles between their Greek and Roman personalities. They are in no position to do anything else. I really hope your plan works. You are taking a very big risk in robbing the seven of aid from the Olympian gods." Chiron paused, considering if he should say what was on his mind

"If you didn't insist on having a normal life, none of this would have happen. You could have done something in the time that you spend at Lette, Sable." Chiron decided to press on, letting his displeasure show on his face.

"You would deny me of this opportunity to live a normal life? I think I deserve at least that after all I have been through. I guess the Fates feel I don't. I am still going to go to school Chiron, it won't affect my commitment in defeating him. My goal is to defeat him. Any complications that arise when the heroes are battling Gaia and Kronos, they have to overcome it themselves. " Sable replied calmly, not even expressing a hint of anger in response.

Chiron felt a wave of guilt struck him as he realised how insensitive he has been. He had completely forgotten. It was the first ever time Sable was thirteen, and probably the last. Previously, she did not even have the chance to reach thirteen years of age. Could he really blame Sable for wanting to finally a normal life?

"I'm sorry, Sable. I didn't mean that. You know that I still have difficulty accepting the fact that you cannot give us much aid in our fights."

"There's nothing to forgive, Chiron. I was selfish in wanting to live a normal life, even though my fate don't allow me to do so. But if I was fully committed to defeating him only, I think I may explode from all the pressure. By trying to have a normal life, it gives me a sense of peace. Previously, I wasn't even able to attempt to do so. . It makes me happy that I can actually attempt to have one." Sable admitted.

Chiron nodded. Sable decided to drop the topic. He understood.

"Chiron, I figured out how I am going to integrate into camp again. The campers are not going to accept and trust an old leader of camp that abandon them to face all their troubles on their own."

"I thought we finally got that straightened out. You had no choice but to leave us to our own devices. Besides, if you not interfere in the matters of camp actually allow you time to prepare for our greatest enemy, I don't think you abandoned us. We were a necessary sacrifice if he is to be defeated." Chiron stressed.

"You and I both know that. The campers don't. And I'm not letting them know of the threat until I assume leadership again. I decided. It's time, Chiron. I need to start from the bottom. I need to start anew."

"I'm afraid I don't really get you, Sable." Chiron looked at her in confusion.

"I will pretend not to know anything about this world. Basically, I will enter this camp as a new recruit like Aralien and Amylin. I will gain their trust as a new recruit. They will know me as Sable, the new recruit that work her way up the ranks by proving her worth as a leader of this camp. The recruit that everyone can trust and depend on. They won't know me as Sable, the youngest leader this camp ever had, the leader that ran away from all her responsibilities. I must show the campers I am worthy of my position of the leader of this camp. And the only way is to start from the bottom." Sable said with much conviction in her voice.

"You'll have to get use to them ordering you around. It will be a hard time for you. You will have absolutely no power and status, no say."

"I am used to that. It was only in recent years I had any power. Before that, I was basically a slave, Chiron."

Chiron shook his head. "I have to continuously remind myself that you have been through a lot. That you are even more ancient than me. It's hard for me to grasp that you are much older than you look. I have to stop thinking you are not thirteen even though you are stuck in the body of a thirteen year old. Well, I guess you will keep your weapons with me for safekeeping? No new recruit has such weapons of power after all."

"No. I'm leaving it on Mount Olympus. No one will touch it when it is there. Not that I don't trust you. But the campers felt find it weird if they start feeling fearful every time they enter your office. The weapons might not take your constant presence around them too well." Chiron could not supress a snicker at the thought of the campers being fearful of him.

"And your eyes? They are very amazing. But they will freak the campers out. They can hardly stand it when they see how old my eyes are. Yours are practically ancient. In addition with the weird colours in your eyes, none of them will dare to approach you."

"I'm going to put a glamour. My eyes will look perfectly normal. Even when I am the leader again, I still cannot tell the campers who I truly am. I have to gain the trust of Perseus and the other six heroes first. That's when I will be ready to reveal to them my true identity and the threat we are facing." Sable informed Chiron, who nodded his head.

"I will be a normal camper in the day, but at night, I will need to leave camp to settle some personal matters. I need to start making alliances. Don't worry, the other campers won't know that I even got out of bed." Sable continued.

"I understand. Good luck, Sable. I guess we won't be talking anytime soon."

"No, we won't be. Every time we do, one and a half hour of my training time is gone" Sable sighed.

"Considering how many hours you spent training with those weapons of yours, I don't think there is any more room for improvement."

Oh, there is much room for improvement. I need to work on my speed and I need to maintain my standards. I do not want to become rusty. Besides, the only time when I can really let loose of my emotions and stress is during training. A couple hours of intensive training is the ultimate stress reliever." Sable said with a smile.

"Alright then. Best of luck, my child. Please, for my sake. Get at least an hour of sleep every night." Chiron pleaded.

Sable just shook her head, with a small smile gracing her face, and slowly walked away, ready to start anew.

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"What? I'm stuck with you for guard duty?" Clarisse, daughter of Ares, shot a death glare at Malcolm, son of Athena.

"Come on. Is it really that hard to bear me for four hours? Let's just get this over and done with. I will take the northern and eastern border of camp."

"Stupid Malcolm. The Romans are already approaching our camp and he still insists that we should not 'antagonise' them by launching an attack on them. They are already antagonised. We should destroy them before they destroy us. What kind of strategist is he?" Clarisse muttered, heading towards the southern border

"I'm sorry, but can you tell me where am I now?" Clarisse turned around in shock, frowning at the girl that was approaching from behind.

"Who are you? Are you a spy sent by the Romans? Speak before I pierce you with my spear. And I assure you. It will be painful." Clarisse aimed her spear at the girl, ready to impale her if she made any move that threatened her.

"I'm… sorry. I have no idea what you are talking about. I was running away from home and I just happen to stumble upon this place. Can you please…please lower the spear? " The girl said in confusion, staring at the spear in terror.

"No Roman would ever show weakness to their enemy. I don't think you are one. Still, I need to bring you into camp and let the camp councillors decide your fate, demigod." Clarisse reluctantly lower her spear and shoved the girl.

"Come on girl, move."

"Thank you."

"What's your name, girl?" Clarisse asked gruffly.

"My name? It's Sable. My name's Sable.

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Chapter 6 is up :) Chapter 7 should only be up after New Year. Have a happy new year everybody :)

Thank you :) aviendhaphiragon 


	7. Chapter 7 To be or not to be

**Chapter 7: To be or not to be**

AD 2011

Intense bouts of pain shot through her as the fire wrecked her body, licking mercilessly at every portion of skin exposed. A sea of fire bubbled beneath her, eager to consume its new victim. She knew she could not hold on to the ledge forever. Her strength was abandoning her, leaving her to the mercy of the fire, robbing her of any chance to avoid falling into the inferno below her. One last desperate attempt to push herself upwards ended in vain. The last thing she saw was a faceless figure in grey, tattered robes kneeling on the floor, not bothering to aid her, pleading for her forgiveness. Then, she fell and burned. Overwhelming pain took hold of her as fire filled her lungs…

Not for the first time, Sable jerked up from her bunk, drenched in sweat. Swinging her legs off her bed, she placed her head in her hands, still trembling. She sighed. She shouldn't have fallen into such a deep sleep. But after nights of patrol duty, training, her other commitments and having not slept for near a month, it was no surprise that her body needed some rest. She could still feel the searing heat of the fire that was only supposed to be part of her nightmare that haunted her. It felt so real. Maybe it was real. The dreams that plague demigods are not merely just dreams. They could be visions of the past, present and future, or attempts of both the friendly and unfriendly to communicate with them. But Sable was no ordinary demigod. Her dreams were memories. She had to relive all the bitter painful memories that were permanently etched in her mind every time she falls into a deep sleep. It was bad enough that the scars that littered her body did not let her forget all her experiences. But it was those accursed dreams that forced her to constantly remember the exact pain she suffered during those experiences. The throbbing pain that shot up her leg when it was severed, the ghastly sight of her blood spilling on the floor, staining it red. The time when she was trampled upon and she felt her bones shatter one by one, the feeling when her broken rib punctured her lungs.

"And Chiron wonders why I don't try to get more sleep." Sable grumbled, grabbing the hilt of the sword next to her bed. Sable groaned inwardly when she realised that it was the sword issued to her when she first entered the camp, not her own. Despite the darkness of Soulreaper, it brought her a sense of comfort. Compared to Soulreaper, the Celestial bronze sword that she was holding seemed so lifeless and mediocre. Sable managed to tame the hurricane of emotions stirring within her with seemingly little effort. After all, she was a master at controlling her emotions. It was necessary for her survival and she did have lifetimes of experience in doing so. She glanced up at the clock, realising that it was only eight at night. Grabbing her gear, she strode out of the door, deciding that an hour, or two, at the archery fields was in order before going on her nightly escape from camp.

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Apart from the few campers on patrol, there was not a single soul roaming the premises. It has been a tiring day for the campers at Camp Half Blood. Many had collapsed on their beds by six after the tiring drills they were forced to go through, too exhausted to even have dinner. Sable was accustomed to the rigour of training for long hours. Even though when she was exhausted, she would not show any signs of it and was capable of carrying out her activities. But she knew the other campers would be suspicious of her if she did not show a hint of exhaustion when even the senior campers could hardly open their eyes. So, like other campers, she retreated to her bunk after they were dismissed, and tried to get some much needed rest. She should have known better. Instead of feeling refreshed after her two hour nap, she felt even more exhausted. Sable could not remember when was the last time she managed to get through the night without having to relive her horrible experiences in her dreams.

Reaching for her bow and arrow, Sable began the repetitive motion of nocking her arrow, drawing her bow, aiming her target five hundred metres away, and releasing her arrow. It was one of the most effective ways for her to clear her mind. For fifteen whole minutes, she was undisturbed. Only the occasional rustle of leaves and the sound of the bow filled the air. Then, Sable heard the soft footsteps of another entering the field. Yet, Sable made no move to break her momentum or to acknowledge the other's presence. Only when she released her last arrow did she turn to greet the newcomer.

"Still training? You should get some rest. You have been on patrol duty for the past few nights." Will Solace graced Sable with a smile, gesturing for her to sit beside him.

"I did. But I couldn't sleep any longer. Nightmares. Besides, it's only eight. Don't usually sleep at this hour. What about you? You should be more exhausted. Having to go through training and attending to the injured throughout the night."

"I can manage. I will get used to it after a while." Will replied with a grimace on his face.

"Chiron's new training regime is hard on everyone."

"It's necessary, Sable. We cannot defend ourselves adequately against the upcoming onslaught. The Romans are too disciplined, and are firmly set on destroying our camp. We need to be more resilient."

Sable nodded her head in agreement, not saying a word.

"The camp is falling apart. After Percy's disappearance, there hasn't been a strong leader to lead the camp. You and the other new recruits are not getting claimed by the gods. The old system of having cabin counsellors does not work anymore. Chiron has decided that we are going to have camp counsellors now. Give everyone equal chances of becoming a leader. Hopefully, one of the new leaders will take the initiative to lead the camp, since the old ones does not seem to be doing so. Do you have any suggestions on any potential leaders?"

"Why don't you step up?" Sable appeared not to have noticed the purposeful look Will had shot at her.

"I am one of the old leaders too. I do not want to carry the burden to leading the camp. My services are more in healing than in leadership." Will said, shaking his head.

"Hmmm, Aralien and Amylin could have the ability to lead the camp, especially if they have each other for support. They are both excellent fighters, they are both popular. Their pranks have lighten up the spirit in this camp tremendously. Even the Stoll brothers feel motivated to start their pranks again. They have demonstrated their ability to lead numerous times, especially during capture the flag. Now that they have been released from school for summer break, they are able to, and they have been, be fully committed to the camp."

"Yes. The current group of cabin councillors approve of them being a camp councillor. They have proven themselves as worthy leaders, especially after summer break started in May. I didn't expect the frightened, confused twin sisters I met last year to fit into the camp so comfortably. But their performance has not been very consistent. Yes, they demonstrated strong leadership during capture the flag, but they are overly confident. They think everything will go their way. Remember the spectacle a few weeks back?"

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"_The Blue team is strong. The defences that Aralien and Amylin throw in our way are extremely hard to overcome. With Will Solace on their team, the volleys of arrows he shoots pose a huge threat to us. All of us will be taken out even before we reach the flag." Jake Mason grumbled._

"_Just charge through all their defences, knock down anybody that come in our way and claim the flag! It's so simple. Dimwits." Clarisse said, with a wave of her hand._

"_No. We won't be able to even get close to the flag. There's one entire chain of demigods linking hands in the clearing there, cordoning off their flag . We will need all our men to even have a chance of breaching it. Our flag will be unprotected." Jake retorted._

"_Urgh! When we charge towards them, the chain will break and they will literally be overrun. And one of us just stay here to guard the flag. It's so easy!" Clarisse growled in frustration._

"_My drones have detected archers hiding behind those lines. And don't forget Will Solace will be on the trees, triggering the nets with his arrows and trapping us. Unless all the children of Apollo, who, mind you, are exceptional archers, suddenly miss all their targets, we all won't be able to reach fifty metres away from that chain. And Sable can't stop them from shooting no matter how good she is with her bow. Chiron has tightened the rules. We can injure the archers but they must still be able to shoot. And no matter how good you are with a sword, Clarisse, our wooden swords are not the most effective weapons against archers. " Jake said exasperated._

"_We don't need all of us to slip through. Just one of us will do. Mark can guard the flag. Clarisse's idea do have some merit. As we are reaching the chain in the clearing, we bundle up together, and charge towards the chain in one single unit. At least a few of us will be able to reach the chain and attempt to break through. We do not need to break the chain anyway. Two of us will remain hidden in the trees. While the archers are dealing with the main assault force, the two hidden can use the trees to reach the other side of the clearing without having to worry about being spotted." Sable spoke up, sensing that the Blue Team would already be on the move._

"_Then they will just need to deal with Aralien and Amylin, since the rest are deployed at the chain to get the flag. You're a genius, Sable. Alright, then Clarisse will lead the team that is going to charge towards the chain, while I and Sable will be the ones hidden in the trees. Move out!" Jake hollered and the Red team sprang into action._

_One. Two. Three. Members of the Red Team got caught in nets, all thanks to Will. Yet, many of them still managed to advance to the clearing. Will was so distracted with trying to minimise the number of the Red Team on the ground, he forgot those on the trees. _

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"_We are winning! The Red team is unable to breach the chain. Our teammates should be reaching their flag soon." Aralien exclaimed with a smug smile on her face._

"_Are you sure that every single one of the Red team is trying to breach the line?" Amylin glanced worriedly in the direction of the clearing._

"_Yes, they will need every single member to try to breach it. Don't worry." Aralien assured._

"_You are forgetting Sable is in that team? You know that she is an excellent strategist. We won so easily the previous time because of her."_

"_Everything will be fine, Amylin. Don't worry too much." _

_The twin sisters continue scanning the area, ready to catch any Red team that manage to reach the flag. Suddenly, they heard a branch cracking and saw Jake landing on the ground, dashing towards the flag. _

"_Hurry Amylin! Stop him" Aralien cried, still shock that the Red team managed to get to their base so quickly. _

_Amylin started sparring with Jake, halting his advance towards the flag, as he was unable to out spar Amylin. Then, Sable knew it was time. Aralien was preoccupied with the spar between Jake and her twin. She slipped down from the tree, and without a sound, made her way to the flag. By the time Aralien realised that Sable was there, the Red Team had won. Sable had managed to grab the flag, leaving both Amylin and Aralien flabbergasted, that they have not even realise Sable's presence._

_η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~_

"If the both of them had been less confident and more cautious, they probably would have realised that three members of the Red team was not at the clearing. Maybe they will be able to get you. Their overconfidence will be their downfall." Will finished, shaking his head.

"They will learn from it. They won't repeat the same mistake twice. Besides, I'm pretty sure they still won't be able to detect my presence. I am after all"

"A ghost. A ghost that is able to escape any detection and give us a scare every single time you appear without warning." Will said, with a grin on his face, recalling how shocked he was when Sable had suddenly popped up behind him previously.

"Then, who else, Will? Who else do you think is suitable to be camp counsellor?" Sable asked.

"You, Sable."

Sable knew she was one step closer to achieving her goal of becoming a leader. She did not feel any sense of accomplishment. It was almost as if she dreaded being a leader. She was comfortable just being a normal recruit, a lot less responsibilities and burdens. She was much happier when the lives of others did not depend on her. In addition, the closer she is in achieving her goal, the sooner she will have to face the inevitable. She would have to reveal her true self, the true enemy and her true goals. The final stand would be closer than ever. But Will does not need to know this yet. Not for now.

"Why? I am, after all, just as inexperienced as Aralien and Amylin." Sable questioned Will.

"In many ways, you are similar to the twins. All three of you attend the same school. All three of you are great fighters. It is amazing what the three of you have achieved when you have only spent a few months at camp. Yet, you have to admit, your skill with your chosen weapons surpass them. Surpass majority of the campers. And the campers felt your care and concern for them. Your effort to know every single camper here and your sincerity in wanting to lift their spirits in these dark times did not go unnoticed. And you are an excellent strategist and decision maker. The camp needs a leader that is actually brave enough to make decisions. All these time, we have been arguing and arguing and Chiron does not interfere. We need a leader that is capable of making decisions that will determine the safety of the campers and of the camp too. The cabin councillors have been watching you. You left a very good impression on all of us."

"I will have to think about it, Will." Sable was really hesitant on accepting Will's offer. She knew that she would never have another moment of peace after she accepted it. But she knew that Gaia was waking in two more months, by August first. The clock was ticking, Sable did not have the luxury of time to delay the offer any longer. Her sense of responsibility battled with her own selfish intentions of wanting to remain a normal camper with a lot less burdens. But for now, her own selfish intentions had won.

"You better think faster then. The quicker we have a leader, the higher our chances in winning this war." Will Solace watched as Sable got to her feet and walked away, too preoccupied with her internal battle to remember why she was even at the archery fields, or to bade goodbye to Will.

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Sable needed to get her priorities right.

What was most important to her? Defeating him? Protecting the lives of the innocent? Or taking this opportunity to be free of burden? When the curse first broke, Sable was determined to dedicate her life to his downfall. But after spending a mere few months at camp, Sable realised that for the first time, she had a choice. She did not need to suffer any longer. For all those years, all she experienced was pain. She fought bitterly for the survival of others, but never for herself. She believed that her life could be thrown in the trash, while the lives of others were like precious gems. She cared for everybody else but herself. And what did she get in return? Even more suffering and pain, just because she had too big a heart. Now that she has the opportunity to truly live for herself, would she have the strength to give it up? Sable sighed as she sat on the beach, watching the water crashing against the shore.

Sable knew that her physical strength, her power have grown, but she was still emotionally weak. Many would think that those who had a firm control over their emotions, those that are able to shield their emotions meant that they were mentally strong. This is not the truth. Sable needed to build up a shield because she was too emotionally fragile and vulnerable. She needed to ensure that her emotions would not be exploited. Her emotions would be her downfall. She depended way too heavily on her ability to control her emotions. After the experience at camp, she was struggling to do so. She had immersed too deeply into the life of a normal camper. Sable was able to maintain the shield because she needed too. When you are a normal demigod, there is little need for that. Sable could feel her shield weakening. And she liked the feeling of not needing to control her emotions, to express freely what she wanted to, to just be a normal person. Maintaining the shield took up much of her energy. It worn her out. By taking on a leadership role, it meant using even more energy to maintain her shield. Before she entered camp, she was willing to do so. But now, she wasn't so sure that's what she wanted. She assured Chiron that she was emotionally ready for what's ahead. In actual fact, she was far from ready. She would never be ready.

What was bothering Sable more was that she was considering about giving up. She knew that the world would not stand a chance against him without her aid. The world will fall. She will fall. Even with her, most likely they will still fail. She knew if she decided to take on the burdens of leadership, to give her all to protect the lives of others once more, she would have to give up that opportunity of having a normal life. And she would be fighting a losing battle. Could she really bear to watch everybody else suffer because of her own selfishness in wanting to be normal? To be able to let loose her emotions? Frankly, she did not know anymore. She had suffered for so long. She wanted to cease her suffering. She did not need to shoulder the responsibility of destroying her enemy. She had a choice not to do so.

Sable smiled bitterly. The curse might not have succeeded in turning her towards the dark side, and it made Sable loathe the dark side with a passion. If there was one thing Sable was sure of, it would be her resolve never ever to serve the dark side. But the curse did manage to breed darkness right inside her, filled Sable's soul with darkness. It made Sable recognise and respect the power of darkness. To some extent, she even grew to love the power of darkness. That was the main reason why the weapons she crafted were of darkness.

She hated herself for being so weak. For not being able to prevent darkness from infecting her. Sable looked up at the star-filled sky. She wished she had the power of the stars. Surrounded by total darkness, yet they still managed to resist the darkness. To keep shining in the sky without letting any darkness seep into their souls. She was ashamed at the darkness in her own soul. It was because of the darkness she considered abandoning the world to her enemy just so she can enjoy a few years of her life without any suffering. Yet, it was the same darkness within her that gave her unlimited power, gave her the power to be able to face her greater enemy. It was up to her. The darkness has taken its hold on her. It was up to her to let the darkness control her, or to control the darkness.

Sable sighed. It was nearly ten. She needed her brainpower for other purposes at the moment. She had to go to that exact same place she goes to every single night. A place that caused her so much pain. Reluctantly, Sable got up from the cushion of sand, ready to leave the camp. "The real question is, when darkness is present in the soul of a person, does that person need to fight for the dark side? Can a person of darkness fight for the light, and remain loyal to the light side?" Like all the other questions she had that night, she did not have an answer. Shaking her head, she disappeared on the spot. She had done enough thinking for the night.

Chapter 7 is up :) Dumbledore and another one of my favourite characters will be in the next chapter. Enjoy!


	8. Chapter 8 Darkness

**Chapter 8: Darkness**

AD 2011

The storm of emotions inside Sable was still raging by the time she arrived at Hogwarts. And the sight of Albus Dumbledore, the esteemed headmaster, gripping his pensieve, with streaks of tears marking his aged face, again, did not help soothe the storm at all. In fact, it made it worse.

"It's so painful. Why is it so painful?" Albus was so absorbed in his agony, failing to realise he had company, as always.

"I can't do it anymore. I can't. My heart… my heart is being torn into a million pieces. I cannot bear the torture. If this is what it takes to win, I don't want to do it. Even if I wanted to, I am not sure that I can even continue going through this struggle." Over the past five years, Sable had watched the once jovial, powerful wizard reduced to a shell of his formal self. A broken, depressed, helpless being. Sable stared at the sight in front of her with a heavy heart. How could she even think about giving up when others are suffering every single day?

"Aren't you suffering too? They have to suffer. You can't be the only one to do so. Let others do the suffering now. Relieve yourself of all the stress, all the burden." The darkness inside her soul seemed to have a voice of its own, trying to fighting the influence of the light over her mind and heart, trying to break the barrier Sable had painstakingly constructed in her soul, which protected the light in her soul from being corrupted. And the voice was growing stronger. Sable was running out of energy to maintain both the barrier protecting her emotions and soul. Sable cringed inwardly. If Albus had felt the darkness in her aura and seen the blackness in her eyes at the moment, it will bring no comfort to him. Taking a deep breath, she tapped on her last reserves of energy to strengthen both barriers even further, temporarily suppressing the darkness, ensuring that Albus did not detect a hint of the darkness inside her.

The elderly man lifted his head, the twinkle was not present in his brilliant blue eyes. As he saw Sable standing a few steps away from him, his eyes instantly turned into a shade of midnight blue, hatred blazing in his eyes.

"Sable, haven't we sacrificed enough? All these years, that's all we did. My own daughter. I forced my own daughter to become a brutal, vicious warrior at the tender age of thirteen. I forced her to sacrifice her youth for Harry. Do you know how she views me? To her, I am nothing but a manipulative, cruel man that uses people as pawns to defeat Voldemort. She sees me as a complete bastard that do not care for the lives of his minions, and rules all of their lives with an iron fist. She has grown to care much for Severus. I could feel her respect for me decrease every single time I send him on another life-threatening mission. When I reprimand both of them for failing to follow my orders, for striking out on their own. Can you imagine if she knew this heartless cruel person is her father? She will be crushed. Crushed to think that her own father would not hesitate to put her in danger for the greater good. " Albus spat, feeling the anger continue to rise inside of him.

Sable remained silent, still not uttering a single word. She knew that Albus needed to vent his anger at her. He did so every single night.

"And the Order? They listen to me out of respect. Not respect for my character, but my power. The Order absolutely despises me for the induction of Hermione, a mere fifth year student. They lost all respect for my character when they see that I did not make any effort to relieve the suffering Severus had to go through by being a double agent. I tore his soul even further when I forced him to train Hermione to be an exact replica of him. I completely ripped his soul apart when he realised that the man he treated as a father does not truly care for him anymore. That I only pretended to care so that I could make him do my dirty work. My wife? She wouldn't even talk to me. She was furious that I have destroyed the innocence of our daughter. That I made both Severus and Hermione go through so much. And do you know what pissed her off even more? That I don't seem to be bothered by her anger. Minerva has no more love for me. I am no longer her husband, her lover. I am only her superior. No more than that." Albus shouted in frustration, clenching his hand tightly around his pensive. Sable winced in pain internally as she slowly transfer the darkness harbouring in his soul into her own.

"And me? I have to suffer all the hatred and anger just because I followed every single one of your instructions. They are supposed to rage at you! Not me. Harry shouldn't be mad at me. Severus, Minerva, Hermione shouldn't hate me. They should be at you! Why is the puppet getting shot at when the puppeteer is the one controlling its actions? You are the ultimate mastermind! You are the one that is making all of us suffer!"

Albus started throwing all the hexes, all the curses that he could possibly muster in his anger, intending to inflict as much hurt as he can on Sable. Many were shaken at his display of power when he duelled with Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic. They would be absolutely terrified of him if they ever witness the scene in his office now. When Albus Dumbledore was blinded by rage, grief, and had no reservations on hurting his target, he will not hold back. They would witness his full power, the destruction the Elder Wand was truly capable of. With every passing second, with every spell, his office was blasted to smithereens. Portraits crashed to the floor, his numerous artefacts shattered to the ground. Books laid on the floor burning, the fire leaving patches of black burn marks in its wake. Not one object was spared. If anyone was in that room, they would not stand a chance. They would drop dead even before they could get a hold of their wand.

Albus flung the wand to the ground, as if it burned him. He started shaking, taking in deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He swore to himself. He swore he would never unleash the full power of the wand no matter what. He had broken that oath tonight. He had tried to use its power to kill Sable, the one that made his life a living hell, his sole confidante, the only one that he could depend on. Kneeling on the floor, he sobbed in his hands, crying in anguish for himself and for his family. He had reached his breaking point. He couldn't take it any longer. His emotions had gotten the better of him.

Albus kneeled on the ground for a very long time, trying to rein in all his emotions that he could no longer control. It took him a while before he could open his eyes again. The first thing he saw was Sable, her face devoid of any expression. She did not seemed to have suffered any injuries. Not a single scratch marred her skin, not a single speck of dust was on her. The only sign that she was affected was that her face was paler than ever. She did not seem to care that Albus Dumbledore had just tried to kill her in his fury. With a casual flick of her hand, the office seemed as good as new. Everything was in place. It was as if that commotion didn't happen.

"I'm completely useless. I can't even hurt you even when I unleashed my full power." Albus felt tears trickling down his face as the realisation that he had just tried to kill the girl that once died for him to pull him back to the light.

"What have I done?" Albus gasped, his vision blurry as tears continued to pour down his face. A familiar warmth began to surround him like a blanket, making him feel at ease. His tears gradually lessen as he felt his emotions become more stable. He felt as if a great rock has been lifted from his heart, providing him with immense relief. He felt as if he had swallowed a ball of hope that light. Hope for a brighter future for himself and his family, for a better world. It was as if a surge of energy has been pumped into him, chasing of all the darkness inside him and energizing him so that he could continue to face all the challenges the merciless Fates throw in his way.

Albus took a deep breath, and found the strength to get back up on his feet, turning to face Sable. She stood rooted at the exact same spot, not moving an inch, her face ashen. Then, she started taking in big gulps of air, as if she had difficulty breathing. Her body started to tremble and her teeth chattered as black spots began appearing all over her skin. A trickle of blood stained black, with hints of gold, began seeping out of her mouth. Alarmed, Albus hurried towards her, managing to catch her before she collapsed on the floor. Albus gave a small cry as he realised that her skin was ice-cold and was slowly peeling away from her body, exposing portions of red raw muscle lying beneath.

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Sable knew that it was a foolish move. If she continued pushing herself so hard, the darkness would have an easier time taking control of her. She had already used too much of her energy in fighting the darkness inside her soul. What on earth was she thinking when she continued absorbing the darkness in Albus's soul and transferring it to her own? She should not have attempted to do that. There were so many warning signs that she should not have ignored. The light in her soul was already fighting desperately against the darkness when she reached Hogwarts. By taking in even more darkness, there was a greater chance it will penetrate the barriers and overcome the light. And it was obvious Albus was much more emotional and had much more darkness in him compared to the previous nights. The darkness was so close to breaking through the barriers. She steeled her mind, and tried to clear her mind, ignoring the chill that filled her body. She used all her remaining energy to will the darkness to succumb to her mind, to rebuild the barriers and added extra reinforcements. The occasionally sharp piercing pain threatened to break her concentration, but Sable managed to maintain it. She cannot let the darkness overwhelm her. Not now. Finally, through sheer willpower, the barriers did not crumble and the darkness discontinued its assault on her. For now, the light within her was safe. Drained, Sable completely blacked out.

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"You cannot continue to do this for me. Sooner or later, you will not be able to take it." Albus shove a cup of tea towards Sable, who gratefully accepted it. She did not give any response. She just sat there, slowly sipping her tea, not saying a word, still recovering from the after-effects of her ordeal.

"I've decided, Sable. No matter how much I suffer, I will not let you continue what you have been doing every night."

"It's not for you to decide, Albus. If I don't do that every single night, the darkness will soon dominate your soul." Sable gritted her teeth, not intending to let Albus have his way.

"Sable, don't you think I am ready? You have reiterated that if I have knowledge of the art of darkness, I will be condemned to the Fields of Punishment when I head to the afterlife. But my life is already a living hell and I really need to understand what I am experiencing every day in order to continue on this path. Sable. It's time."

"Are you really prepared to do so?" Sable asked Albus, her eyebrow raised.

"No, I am not. But I need to know." Albus said, his voice quivering, knowing that he sealed his fate in the afterlife with those two sentences.

Sable got up from the couch, heading towards the window, staring at the darkness outside. "Fine. But you will have to accept what I am going to do every night."

Only after a reluctant nod from the other occupant in the room did Sable start.

"It is crucial to understand what exactly Darkness is. Is it mere blackness, lifeless? Or is it a force, a force that has a voice of its own, that is able control life forms in the Universe? During the Age of Darkness, every single being only had darkness in their souls. He used the darkness residing in them to bend them to his will, to make them carry out his every command. Darkness was literally the souls. Darkness, at that time, was a mere tool for Him. It did not seem to have a voice of its own. But that changed when Light was created. Imagine that souls at that time are like balloons, but it is Darkness that inflates it instead of gas. When another force, the Light was first created, it attracted the Darkness to leave the souls, and the Light was able to eliminate the Darkness, or so it was thought." Sable gave a bitter smile, before continuing.

"Souls became like a deflated balloon. In place of the Darkness, Light entered the souls instead. From that day on, all new life in the Universe possessed Light souls initially. Remember the Darkness that got chased out from the souls? It was not eliminated. It started to have a mind of its own. It was no longer a mere tool. It did not need to be controlled by anyone any longer. It became the most powerful being in the Universe, even more powerful than the Light. The Light is able to push the darkness away, able to resist the darkness. But it will never be able to completely destroy Darkness. Whereas Darkness is able to completely consume the Light, completely destroy it. It is able to cease the very existence of the Light. Darkness was more than just a force. It was a literal being, a being that can invade the souls of anyone that can completely crush the Light in the souls and conquer the souls. A being with a bitter hatred for the Light. It was a being that could not be destroyed. Light remained a force, a force that needs to be controlled. The Light depended on the strength of the being that controls it in order to be powerful. But Darkness was a being. It was always powerful, indestructible." Sable grabbed a piece of paper and crushed it with her hand and let the ball drop to the floor.

"The Light is like that pathetic piece of paper. On its own, the Darkness will always overwhelm it."

"But if a person was able to control the Light, that person will be able to defeat the Darkness."

"It's not that simple. Only those with Light still in their souls can control it. It is easy to control the Light. It wants to be controlled. But those that try to control it have terrible fates. The Darkness will make sure of that. Those controlling the Light will suffer. Those that control the Light will be sorely tempted to use the power of Darkness instead, because the Darkness will tempt them. Tempt them with promises of a life without suffering, to possess unspeakable powers. In the end, many that control the Light would try to control the Darkness instead. But unlike the Light, it is near to impossible to control the Darkness. In their attempt to control the Darkness, the Darkness will enter their souls and destroy all traces of the Light soul within them. In the process, much pain will be inflicted on the one being invaded. They would become servants of Darkness, with no ability to control the Light anymore." Sable said, shaking her head.

"So there's really no more hope for the Light?" Albus said, dejected.

"To defeat Darkness, one has to gain complete control over it. That's the only way. Only those that have both Darkness and Light coexisting in their souls will have a chance to truly conquer Darkness. But ultimately, many of these people end up having the Light parts of their soul being invaded by Darkness."

"Alright, but if the Darkness is really so powerful, won't most of us be consumed by it?" Albus pressed on, hardly able to contain his curiosity.

"It would. But around a thousand years ago, it was as if someone has knocked Darkness out. The Darkness present now is only partially conscious, only possesses a small fraction of its power compared to ancient times."

"Would you have something to do with it?" Albus asked, with a genial smile on his face.

"Sable was not alive at that time." Her expression hardened, and her eyes darkened. Albus knew he was treading on dangerous ground, and hurriedly make a gesture for Sable to continue and to ignore his previous question. "Can you explain to me what you have been doing every night then?"

"Darkness still exists and it is still quite successful in invading souls despite being weakened. The more a person suffers, the easier it is for Darkness to penetrate the soul, the larger the amount of Darkness accumulated in that person. The Darkness can still consume the Light in our souls, just at a much slower rate. For your case and the people around you, the Darkness can easily enter their souls because, like you said, your life is a living hell. The more heartbreak, more pain all of you go through, the greater the amount of Darkness present in your souls. The Darkness would slowly corrupt all of you souls, making you lose even more faith in the Light so that all of you will try to control Darkness and be fully under its control. Minerva, Hermione and Severus are able to tolerate the amount of Darkness in their souls because they have people to depend on, people they can confide in, people that they can fully trust and share their sufferings with. For your case, you would not be able to because you do not have anyone like that, except for me. The problem is, I spend most of my time at camp these days and I can only help you relieve your suffering at night." Sable came to an abrupt halt, noticing that it was already four in the morning. If she wanted to return to camp before the sun rises, and finish all her errands, she had to speed up.

"In order to ensure that the Darkness does not completely corrupt your soul, I need to extract it out of you. Basically, I use the Light in my soul to pull the Darkness out of you and transfer it into my own. After all, I do have a barrier protecting the Light parts of my soul, and I have more experience in resisting Darkness. I am able to handle a significantly larger amount of Darkness in my soul. That's what I have been doing every night. Making the amount of Darkness residing in your soul more bearable."

"Are my bouts of anger every night due to me not being able to resist the Darkness in my soul?"

"Yes. The Darkness within you influence your emotions and your mind. The more Darkness within you, the harder it is for you to control your emotions. That explains your outburst every night. To allow you to be able to carry out your daily activities, and to keep this plan going, I need to lessen the Darkness in you and give you some of my light energy every single day. Usually, I am able to do so without having much side effects. But today, I have a bit of trouble controlling the Darkness in my own soul. In addition, you seem to have much more Darkness accumulated in you today. I overestimated the amount of Darkness I could control. The Darkness almost overcame me just now. If I didn't manage to hold up my barriers, it would have succeeded. I would become a servant of Darkness. It is getting increasingly difficult to control the Darkness. It's getting stronger. His awakening is approaching." Sable concluded, her heart heavy with burden.

"I'm sorry I blew up at you. Yes, you did cause my family and me to suffer. But I also know you didn't have a choice. He did not give you a choice. I just couldn't get myself to understand that a few hours ago. I couldn't get myself to remember that you are helping my family to be unmarked for death. I'm sorry." Albus apologised, his heart filled with guilt. He could sense that Sable was already preoccupied with her own troubles. Yet, she still tried her best to help him with his troubles. Not only was he ungrateful, he was angry at her for doing something she was forced to do.

"It's alright. But care to explain why you seem to have so much more darkness in you today? What happened?"

"Harry came over and started screaming at me. He was angry, devastated at the loss of Sirius. I felt absolutely horrible that I was not able to offer him any comfort, or prevent his godfather's death. Then, Severus came stomping into my office. I guess that's why I lost control today." Albus's voice faltered, his voice choked with emotion. Albus then gestured Sable to go towards the pensieve, too emotional to continue speaking.

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"Ah, I was expecting you." Albus looked up from his paperwork, with an amused smile on his face. Severus had stomped into his office and stood there at the doorway, not saying a word. Severus strode towards his desk, pulled out a chair and sat directly in front of Albus, glaring at him. Most would wet their pants if the fearsome potions master had glared at them directly for long periods of time. Yet, Albus was seemingly oblivious that he had incurred the wrath of one of his most useful pawns.

"Lemon drops?" Albus asked, not seeming to be affected by the anger radiating off Severus.

"No. I do not want any of those blasted muggle sweets." The dark potions master answered curtly.

"Hmm, it's your loss then." Albus said smiling, popping a couple of sweets into his mouth, before turning his attention to the man in front of him. "Do you have something to tell me Severus?"

"Why did you stop the Order members from going to the Ministry when you knew that six teenagers have little chance of survival against twenty Death Eaters?" Severus shot Albus a look of frustration when Albus did not answer his question, but continued smiling.

"You should have more confidence in your apprentice, Severus. She had done a marvellous job in handling the situation." Albus finally answered, a smile still plastered on his face.

"So she has passed your inspection?"

"I have completely no clue what you are talking about, Severus." Severus was clenching his hands at this point, wanting to strangle the infuriating old man in front of him that wouldn't stop smiling.

"You know exactly what I am talking about." Severus said, gritting his teeth, trying not to blow up at that bastard in front of him.

"Then why do you still need to ask me?" Albus replied, his smile not faltering.

"You know that all their lives were in danger. Yet, you made no move to protect any of them. What if Granger was not up to standard? What if, because of your foolish test, your precious Potter and my apprentice lost their lives?" Severus shot at Albus, his anger evident with every word.

"As I said, you should have more confidence in Ms Granger. She has proven herself." Albus said, a hint of false exasperation in his voice.

"Proven herself as what? As a perfect bodyguard for Potter? Proven herself as a young girl that disregards her own life, yet places Potter's life as her highest priority? Proven herself to be just another suitable pawn for you to use and dispose of?" Severus said in a low voice, his voice dripping with venom.

"Now, now Severus, have you grown to care for that girl? She willingly does this, you know. No one forced her to do anything." The smile on Albus's face disappeared, his voice changing to one of displeasure.

"She did not understand what she was doing when she was thirteen. You knew the moment she agreed to become Potter's personal bodyguard, she cannot back out. You did not give her any warning."

"Severus, I think she understood what she was doing. She is the smartest witch of her age after all. Enough of this, Severus. I need to get back to my paperwork. Please leave." Albus told his spy in a seemingly polite tone. But Severus understood the underlying message. If he did not get the hell out of there and continued pressing the issue, Albus will make him regret it. Big time. Severus got up from his chair, bowed to his boss, before heading for the door. Just as he was about to grab the handle, he knew he had to get something of his chest.

"You've changed, Albus. The Albus I knew, the Albus I cared for would never put the lives of his students at risk, would never treat the people around him like pawns, would never sacrifice the sanity and innocence of a young girl to achieve his aims." He then headed out and closed the door with a slam. As soon as he was gone, Albus sunk deeper into his chair, tears leaking out of his eyes. His heart was breaking into pieces upon knowing that he was the one that broke Severus's heart.

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"That meeting with Severus really affected me. He always possessed full control of his emotions. Yet, today, I could actually tell how furious he was, how disappointed he was in me. That I have become so ruthless and uncaring. It hurts me even more that I couldn't tell him why I changed. Having everyone I know lose all their respect for me, seeing myself having qualities I hate the most. That's why I was so emotional today. Severus has painfully reminded me of how I used to be, how I wanted to be. Even though I know it is necessary for me to put up an act in order to save their lives, some days, I really feel like I cannot do this any longer."

"Persevere. Just two more years. Just two more years, I promise this will be all over. And I assure you, that I will support you throughout this ordeal. I promise you that I will gain more control of the Darkness in my soul, so that I will be able to continue removing the Darkness in yours." Sable said with a determined look on her face. She got up from her chair, bade Albus farewell, before disapparating to her next location. Albus Dumbledore gave his first true smile that morning, knowing he can depend on Sable to support him throughout his journey. Sable was willing to make sacrifices for him. He cannot possibly let her and let himself, or his family down. No matter how much more he must suffer, he must press on. For himself, for his family, for Sable, for the greater good.

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She approached a lone cabin centred in the middle of the woods. The lanterns were already lit, indicating that the occupant inside was already awake.

"Of course, it's already five in the morning. He would be awake." Sable muttered. Striding to the front door, she lifted her hand, ready to knock. Then, she hesitated. The moment she revealed herself to him, she would have to deal with another world. The worst of all, she would have to deal with the most annoying and frustrating father figure in her life. Even worse than Chiron. She shuddered at the memory of his attempts in trying to get her to have more rest and to eat regular meals.

"Well, we need another ally. It's now or never." Before she could regret her decision, she gave three solid knocks on the door. Despite recalling how irritating the man was previously, a small grin still appeared on her face as the door was flung open and she came face to face with the man that probably cared for her welfare the most.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The man asked in a gruff voice, not bothering to hide his displeasure on being disturbed early in the morning.

"A very good morning to you too. Who am I? I am the one that has the most unfortunate experience of having to suffer your suffocating care and concern for my welfare. I'm back, Halt. ." Seeing the disbelieving look on Halt's face, Sable dug into her pocket, dangling a necklace right in front of his face.

"I'm back."

And here's Chapter 8 :) Finally completed. For the rest of the month, I will be posting a new chapter every weekend. When school starts in Feb, I will probably be only be able to post a new chapter once a month. :(((( Hope you enjoy this chapter :) Feel free to give any suggestions for improvements :)

avienhaphiragon- yes, and you will see a lot more of Sable's different side in the following chapters :)

directioner4ever101- thank you :)


	9. Chapter 9 Frozen in time

**Chapter 9**: **Frozen in time**

AD 2011

Trying to convince a mortal that you are a reincarnated soul that still have intact memories of their previous lives?

Good luck with that.

Convincing the gods and Chiron of that fact was already quite a challenge. Though they are no strangers to the concept of reincarnation, they did not believe that a soul could be immune to the effect of River Lethe. The river that is even powerful enough to wipe all the memories of a Titan. When she first made that supposedly preposterous claim in AD 1500, Zeus immediately threw one of his lightning bolts at her, killing her once again, sending her to the Fields of Punishments. He was convinced she was a rogue soul controlled by his enemies that managed to be reincarnated without even going into the Lethe. He was paranoid that she was the result of a successful attempt of his enemies trying to disrupt the order in the Underworld. Only after all the gods watched her soul actually taking a dip in the river fifty years later when she was about to be reincarnated once again, were they more ready to accept that she was a reincarnated soul that was unaffected by the Lethe. It took several more lifetimes before they managed to understand why she was unaffected, and that she did not mean them any harm. After all, there was no one else that existed that had the same experiences as her. And no one else had incurred the same intensity of hatred the Fates felt toward her. Well, since she did sacrificed herself just to delay the awakening of Gaia, the least they can do for her was to believe her story and leave her to her own devices. Maybe that was the reason why they easily believed her when she told them the partially true story of her past, her predicament, and her destiny.

Trying to get Albus Dumbledore to accept that in AD 1945 was even more difficult. He was already completely exhausted by his ordeal with Grindelwald. It did not help that he was utterly confused if he had romantic feelings towards his ex-student, or if deep in the recesses of his heart, still had some remnants of love of his greatest enemy. And once, his greatest friend. It was no surprise that he would be incredulous when she claimed to be someone close to him. That she was reincarnated with memories of her past life as Ariana, his sister. The sister that he might have murdered. To complicate matters further, Albus had quite a few reservations about reincarnated souls. Blame the Resurrection stone and the Inferi. The soul that was brought back to life when Cadmus Peverell used the stone had suffered greatly from being forced back into the world of the living. Albus felt those that could return from the dead with memories still intact should remain in the Underworld. He also suspected that she was a subject of Dark wizards, an advanced form of Inferi sent to kill him. But the main reason Albus did not want to believe her was because he did not want to give himself false hope. False hope that he could actually have a second chance to provide a better life for his sister he had neglected in his youth. And she did not have the luxury of time to explain matters with Albus. His life is a lot shorter than immortals and she did not know if she would ever have the time to do so again. Only after daily visits, many emotional breakdowns and hundreds of times of Legilimency, did Albus reluctantly admitted to himself that she was really the same person he knew previously. After he did, he made sure he showered her with all the love he did not before. That was why she did not have the heart to tell him about who she really was, and about her horrible fate that was already set in stone until AD 2007.

If magical beings had such a hard time accepting who she really was, a mortal would not even be able to comprehend what she was saying. They might not be willing to understand what she was saying. After all, it was common knowledge that mortals fear the unknown. But the mortal she was dealing with would be an exception. As a ranger, Halt was used to being exposed to the unknown. In fact, he made learning about the unknown his business. That was necessary in order to keep the peace in Araluen and to survive. And Halt was not completely unfamiliar to the concept of magic and life threatening monsters due to his experience with Morgarath and the Kalkara. However, this did not make matters easier for her. Halt was not as inclined as the gods, Chiron and Albus, to accept explanations of reincarnation and the Underworld and its rivers. Those concepts were absolutely foreign to Halt, and he would never believe that places in myths could really exist. That was why she could not blame Halt for his initial reaction.

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"I'm back."

Halt's heart starting pumping furiously the moment he saw a stranger holding that particular necklace in her hands, her cloak blocking most of her face from view, except for her mouth. He just stood there, his eyes fixated on the necklace. His blood was boiling. How dare she? Glaring menacingly at the offending figure on his doorstep, he whipped out his saxe knife in a swift movement, making it clear that he would not hesitate to kill her.

"Why do you have that necklace? If you dare to step out of line, you'll find that this knife in my hand would magically be embedded in your neck. Spit it out, gravedigger." Halt was enraged. And alarmed. How could that cloaked stranger break into that tomb? Was it to spite him? To remind Halt of his most painful memories? To try and break him? Then again, no one else knew how precious she was to him. That part of his life was the only secret he had never shared with Will Treaty and Pauline. He could not bear to do so. Every single time he tried to talk about her, there would be a lump in his throat, his overwhelming emotions would prevent him from making a sound. No one should even know about her, given that she lost her life before he met Crowley. No one would ever know about the girl that died in order to save his life.

To his fury, the infuriating girl in the cloak did not seemed frightened by his threat and weapon. Didn't she understand that her life was on the line? The rangers had quite a reputation for being able to instil much fear into others if they chose too. And Halt, being one of the most respected and powerful rangers, is able to do that exceptionally well. He was able to reduce a strong man into a mere child, and they would not even dare to look directly at him. Yet, that infuriating girl in the cloak seemed to be unfazed by Halt. Her head was held high and she easily maintained eye contact with the intimidating ranger in front of her. Halt was taken aback when a smug smile formed on her face and she started shaking her head.

"You did not scare me then. You do not scare me now. You are becoming more docile in your old age, Halt."

Halt could no longer think straight. Not because of the insult the cloaked menace had thrown at him but by his anger. She talked in the exact same way as her. All he knew was that he wanted that girl dead. To punish her for not letting his saviour rest in peace, and to have the nerve to steal that necklace from the grave. To have the audacity to open up old wounds, to remind him of the girl that sacrifice her life for him. That gravedigger had no right to remind him of her. Instinctively, with a flick of his wrist, he sent his knife flying out of the door. To his absolute horror, the knife did not even make a mark on her neck, even when he threw the weapon at such a great force. And it was not due to his lack of accuracy. Being a master marksman, Halt was confident he would be able to hit her neck. It was a relatively easy hit to manage. Instead of piercing her skin and drawing blood, the knife literally bounced off her neck and landed on the floor with a clang. The cloaked stranger just shook her head again.

"I thought you would have better self-control than that. It's not like you to act on impulse." She said in mock exasperation.

Uneasiness rose within Halt when he realised that he had just broke the law. He attempted to murder someone that he felt was a threat to him. Standard procedure should be to question her and find out her true intentions first. But he simply cannot restrain himself from doing so. The emotional wounds that necklace reopened was too much for him to handle rationally. Furthermore, the resemblance of that girl right in front of him to the original owner of the necklace was increasing by the second. The only other person that he knew would be unharmed when a knife is thrown at her throat was his saviour. But Halt was a hundred percent sure that she died. The memory where she died what seemed to be like fifty years ago was etched in his mind permanently. It scarred him. Her death was still the most horrifying ones he ever witnessed. Even scarier than any deaths he saw throughout his life. That memory was his driving force, one of his motivations to help Crowley reform the Ranger's Corps. The least he could do for that poor girl was to help her maintain the peace in her homeland, to eliminate all the enemies, especially the enemy that cruelly took away her life. And to ensure that no one else had to suffer as horrible a death as her.

"I am quite sure Ithila would strongly disapprove of you if you continue not to show basic courtesy to your guest." The cloaked stranger said with a small smile on her face.

Halt felt his boiling blood rush into his head as he clenched his hands, digging into his skin. If he wasn't sure before, he was now. That cloaked bastard in front of him had went to disturb her grave. That was the only way the creature on his doorstep could learn her name and possess the necklace.

"What's she playing at?" Halt thought to himself as he moved aside, gesturing for the gravedigger to enter, glaring daggers at her. He cannot let his emotions get the better of him. He needed to keep a cool head and figure out intentions of the cloaked figure that showed up at his door at five in the morning. His instincts were screaming at him. That he should at least listen to the stranger, no matter how much his hands were itching to land blows after blows on her.

His hair was standing on its ends as he watched her every move, and his body tensed, ready to react in a split second if she posed a danger to him. The moment the girl stepped into the cabin and removed her cloak, Halt felt as if his heart was trying to leap out of his body in shock, but it got stuck in his throat. Her eyes. That was the feature that shook him so greatly that he could not bear to look at them for longer than a second. He didn't need more time to know what her eyes look like. He could remember it. The myriad of colours dancing around in her irises that never failed to lift his spirit whenever times got hard. When the bright colours darkened to form a deep black colour that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Halt could not bring himself to believe it.

"Ithila? I…I…" Halt's voice faltered. He shut his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. Most of her face was completely unfamiliar to him, but her eyes. Only Ithila had the exact same eyes. He was pretty sure she did not manage to have any children, being only thirteen when she tragically lost her life. He felt as if someone was profusely pounding his brain with a hammer.

"Who are you?" Halt sat down on a chair, massaging his temples, totally frustrated.

"My name is Sable."

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Halt looked a lot older than she remembered.

That is not surprising, considering that it has been three hundred years since she last met him.

Actually, Halt should be dead a long time ago.

Sable recalled the night a few years ago when she realised that the state of Araluen has not been wiped off the face of the earth yet. She was hunting down a few groups of creatures that were terrorising the countryside of England. Sable noticed that all of them seemed to be avoiding a section in the forest. And there was hardly any man that approach that section. If someone got close to it, they would automatically turn around and head to the direction they came from. It was as if there was a border around that section that is keeping unwanted guests away. After the creatures all met their ends, Sable decided to explore that section. The closer she got to the invisible border, the slower time past. The minute she crossed the border, her eyes widen in amazement. There were completely no signs of vehicles that she was used to seeing in the cities. But there was an abundance of carriages, with horses pulling them. The streets were littered with numerous three-story red-bricked houses, with smoke escaping from the top of the chimneys. It was as if Sable had stepped into the past. Sable could not shake the feeling that she had been to this town before. Then it hit her. This place looked exactly like Redmont. But how was that possible? Only one way to confirm her suspicions. She weaved through the throngs of people bustling in the market place and made her way to the woods. The minute she saw the lone wooden cabin in the middle of the woods, and saw the grey-bearded Halt sipping his coffee on his doorstep, she knew that her suspicions were spot on.

It seemed as if the country of Araluen has been frozen in time.

Or at least, time in Araluen had past tremendously slowly for the past three hundred years.

After her death.

Sable felt an urge to rush toward Halt and revealing everything that every instant. She could hardly believe that Halt was still alive. But her mind ruled over her heart. She didn't need to open a new can of worms when she had not even settled matters at camp and at the Wizarding world. Steeling her heart, she turned away from the cabin, vowing to return when the time was ripe.

And now she was back. She had promised herself she would. Even though she had not settled her other matters. But Sable desperately needed a distraction and an excuse for herself to peel away from the frustrations of the magical worlds. Approaching Halt would bring her a new wave of concerns and problems. But at least she was a lot more confident that she would be able to deal with mortal problems than magical ones.

Besides, the time was approaching for all of them to unite. Sable knew Halt would needed time. He is going to have much to take in.

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"I'll ask you not to interrupt me for now. I need to leave by six. I'll visit you at five in the morning every single night to answer all of your questions. So, please. Just bear with me and listen for the next half an hour." Halt scowled, clearly displeased at having to listen to a gravedigger, but he gestured for Sable to continue, leaning against the wall. Despite being angry at the girl, he was intrigued by her. He wanted to hear just what she could come up with.

"Judging by your reaction when I removed my cloak, I'm guessing you noticed that I have the exact same eyes as Ithila. There's no point in beating around the bush. I was once Ithila. But I am Sable now."

Halt raised an eyebrow, wondering what other ridiculous claims the gravedigger can come up with.

"You asked me how I got this necklace. I didn't take it from the grave. It was never there. If you went back to the grave, you will find that it's untouched." Halt's eyebrows narrowed and his face hardened. He would pummel the gravedigger that minute if he wasn't curious to find out more.

"This necklace belongs to me. Do you still not understand, Halt?"

Halt just stared at her, not knowing how to react.

"I was reincarnated. With the memories of my previous lives. That's how I knew her name. I was once Ithila. I do not expect you to believe me fully now. But you will, eventually. Only Ithila will know every single detail of your past, your persistent attempts to get her to care more of her welfare. I'm guessing you do not need her to remind you how stubborn you were about having her to eat proper meals three times a day, or to have eight hours of sleep a day." Halt could not stop himself from smirking at that memory.

"I would try and convince you that I was Ithila tomorrow. But I'm running out of time for now. Tell me, how many years has it been since her death?" Sable hurried, realising that she only had twenty minutes left. She had to return to camp before the first camper got out of bed at six.

"Fifty years. Fifty years since I last saw her." Hat sighed, depressed at the thought of Ithila's death.

"What if I told you that it's has been three hundred years after her death?"

"So you're telling me that I am three hundred and sixty over years old? Do you know how ridiculous you sound? You tell me that you were Ithila in your past life. I'm not completely sure if that's true. But so far, you manage to convince me to believe that, even if I have some doubts. But three hundred years? You have got to be joking."

"I would not be so quick to dismiss that as a joke. Didn't you realise that Araluen has lost contact with Arrida, Nihon-Ja and Skandia, Gallica? Don't you find it strange that trade has been cut off? Didn't you realise that not a single soul has crossed the border of Araluen for what seems to be like the past ten years? Actually it has been more than a century since anyone went in or out of Araluen. Most of the people you knew in those countries were wiped out by a plague, or destroyed during wars. Araluen has been frozen in time. You might not know it, you might not believe it, but you can feel it. Time is passing extremely slowly here, even slower than before. But some of you have to come into the twenty-first century wold. It is crucial for our survival." The seriousness in Sable's voice quickly erased the possibility that she was joking in Halt's mind.

"Alright. Let's say you are right. That Araluen is frozen in time. But why do we need to integrate into the new century? Honestly, why should we care about the survival of your people? We have enough troubles of our own. Besides, none of us will be willing to leave Araluen to go to a completely new place, to experience a new age." Halt was annoyed. He had an inkling that time was passing way too slowly to be normal. But to have someone claiming that his ridiculous suspicions were true, it was mind blowing. Halt was happier not knowing that Araluen was stuck in time.

"What if I told you that your world is threatened? That the enemy that I am facing now will destroy your world? And you will need the help of my world in order to survive? The Ranger Corps swore that they will maintain the peace in Araluen. Now, your precious homeland is at stake. And the only way to protect this place is to help my world defeat our enemy. You said the people of Araluen will be against the idea of going into a different time-dimensions. Can you say the same about the Rangers? You and I both know that they, including you, will go to great lengths to protect this world. They would be willing to integrate into the twenty-first century in order to protect Araluen. We need the help of the Rangers to defeat my enemy."

"If Rangers can help destroy your enemies, there are plenty of others that can do the same. Just leave us alone."

"I would disagree. Very little mortals in the modern age possess the kind of skill the Rangers have with the bow. And you know that the rangers are the ones who are closest to perfecting the art of disguise. The mortals of the modern age are accustomed to using guns and advanced machinery. Archery has been reduced to a mere sport. Using bows and arrows on a battlefield now is a joke for the mortals. Guns and bombs are much easier to use, the destruction is much greater, and the casualties are much lesser. However, we cannot enlist their help. Enlisting them would mean revealing my world to them. Also, unfortunately for us, those weapons do not destroy our enemies. In fact, they make our enemies even stronger. That is why I am requesting for the Rangers to join the world of the twenty-first century, to join the effort against our enemy. We need as many swords, bows, arrows and magic as we can muster. That is the only way we at least have a chance of defeating our enemy."

"First thing, I have no idea what enemy you are talking about. It is your enemy, not mine, not ours, but your enemy. Secondly, the Rangers are not going to risk leaving Araluen unprotected just to fight an enemy we do not know of. How do we know you are not the one planning our downfall? Thirdly, why do you keep referring to the people of your world as mortals? Are you saying you are not one? Why should I trust anything you say, Sable? When I do not even know who you are?" Halt asked in frustration.

"Still as alert as ever. Picking on every little single detail I say." Sable said, shaking her head, quite amused.

"All of your questions will be answered in due time. After all, I am still returning every night. Just to specially convince you of everything I said today. But I am afraid that is all for now. I have to take my leave now. Nice meeting you again, Halt. Enjoy the rest of your day." Sable flashed him a brilliant smile, before getting up abruptly from her chair and headed out of the door.

Halt just stared at her, completely dumbfounded at what happened. As the sun slowly crept higher into the sky, Halt realised that there was no strand of thread from her cloak that got stuck to the grass, nor any sign of footprints on the muddy ground outside the cabin. There was no sign that anyone had made a visit to his cabin an hour ago.

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It was five minutes to six by the time Sable arrived at the border of camp. She had to make her way back to her cabin, slip under her covers and pretend to be asleep until the camp councillors started going around to wake the others up. She would have a lot of explaining to do if they realised that she had slipped out of her bunk before six. There was a strict rule restricting movement of the campers at night. They were only allowed to get out of bed at six, both for security reasons, and to ensure they all got enough rest. Sable glided to her cabin, not making a single sound along the way, like a shadow. She managed to reach her cabin without being detected.

Sable gingerly twist open the handle, and proceeded cautiously, watching where she put her foot to ensure that the wooden floor did not creak.

"You there! What are you doing?" Sable halted in her step, forcing herself to remain calm. Slowly, she turned her head to the direction of the voice. To her immense relief, it was only a harmless, sleep-talking Aralien. Aralien mumbled a few more words before smashing her face into her pillow and continued sleeping.

"Alright. Just a few more steps." Sable prayed that the rest of the occupants were all deeply asleep.

She took a step. The camper on her right decided to start tossing and turning on her bed. Sable cringed, worrying that it would wake someone. She had a great urge to dash and leap onto her bed. But she had to control. It would defeat the purpose of her acting so cautiously to avoid making any sound.

A few more steps to her bed. Sable finally manage to reach her bed. Through the darkness, she could see a pair of disapproving eyes from a figure sitting on her bed, with his arms crossed. Looks like she was not the only one awake in the cabin…

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"How does she expect me to have a good day after dumping all those worries on me? I need another cup of coffee." Halt grumbled in frustration.

Grabbing his coffee mug, he filled it to the brim with the still piping-hot coffee, and dumped in generous amount of honey inside. He took a long swig from it, trying to clear his mind.

"I must have been dreaming just now. That conversation did not happen. No weird gravedigger called Sable that might not be mortal just came up to my door requesting the help of the Rangers. And telling me that Araluen had been frozen in time. Ha! You are having hallucinations in your old age, Halt. None of those ridiculous things just happened. You have to find a way to warn Pauline that you are losing your mind." Halt muttered to himself, taking another long swig of his coffee, determined to treat the events that happened that morning as a figment of his imagination.

Well, fate was not going to be kind to him.

An object on the table caught his eye. He heart beat rapidly increased as he realised that the necklace was lying on the table. Letters spelling out her name, with a bow and arrow charm, all strung together with a pure silver chain, glittering as the sun rays shone on it. Halt kept his eyes on the necklace, both entranced and haunted by the sight of it. All thoughts about forgetting the conversation he had flew out of the window. That necklace was enough proof that Sable came to his cabin.

"No. No. No." Halt groaned, repeatedly pounding his fists on the table. He knew that his life would never be the same again. His past is going to return and haunt him. Till his death.

Chapter 9 is up. Hope you enjoy it:) The next update will be a week from now (hopefully)

aviendhaphiragon: YES Ranger's Apprentice is awesome :)))


	10. Chapter 10 Hollow

**Chapter 10: Hollow**

Warning: A little gore and blood in this chapter

AD 2011

Sable did not seem a least bit surprised. Will Solace gave her a disapproving glare, and made a show of rolling up his sleeves and checking his watch. But when he lifted his head, intending to show his displeasure to the camper that got out of bed before six, he was stunned. Sable stood there in front of him, specks of red and green flashing within her irises, instead of her usual shade of blue. Will tried to open his mouth, but he realised it was clamped shut. Literally. He could not move a single muscle. He could only watch as Sable put her fingers to her lips.

"I don't think you should go waking up the other campers. It is three minutes to six. Let them enjoy their last three minutes of rest. " Sable whispered in a low voice. Will would not be able to hear her if the cabin was not completely silent, apart from the occasional grunts and snoring.

"I knew that you would come here after our little talk a few hours back. I know what you think of me, Will. A demigod that is way too strong and mysterious. My past is shrouded by shadows. You are trying to see if I could be trusted, trying to understand my true personality. That's why you wanted to reveal the other cabin councillor's decision to make me a leader of camp. You disapproved of the other camp councillors' decision to make me a leader of camp. You wanted to see if I was power-hungry. If I influenced the judgement of your fellow councillors in order to be a favourable candidate for a leader? But I passed your test, didn't I? I didn't jump at the opportunity to seize power when you discretely offered it to me. Yet, you still continue to suspect me." Will did not like the tone in Sable's voice. And it did not help that Sable's voice was gradually becoming even softer, and he had to strain harder to listen to her.

"You saw me leaving camp. You wanted to take this opportunity to threaten to expose to the others of my nightly escapees, to make me spill the beans. After all, if the others find out that I have been leaving camp, they will start suspecting that I am in league with their enemies. That was your intention. Well, your plan would have worked if I was any other demigod. Unfortunately for you, I am not. How do you tell the others after I am done with you?" Will's heart quicken and started beating rapidly, worrying what Sable planned to do with him. He tried to scream, but it was as if he lost his voice box. He could not utter a single sound. He wanted to just get out of the cabin, but he no longer has control over his muscles. Sable had a slight smile on her face. Will wondered if he had imagined the slight glint in her eyes.

"You think that I cannot be trusted. And you are right. I wouldn't trust myself if I was in your position. I played with you, Will. I made the effort to be back here before six, to avoid the detection of every other person. Yet, you manage to find out that I left camp? To find out that I left my bed way before six. I let you find out. I wanted only you to find out. Why? Because that's the only way to for me to earn your trust in the future." Will was completely bewildered. He did not get what Sable was doing.

"You will not remember this conversation for the rest of the day until tonight at ten. You will magically find yourself at the archery fields, and I will be bringing you out of camp. You are going to experience first-hand what I have been doing every night. That will be the only way for you to establish complete trust in me." Will just sat stock-still on the bed, still trying to grasp the possibility that Sable was not actually going to hurt him. On the contrary, she would be trying to convince him to trust her.

Sable lowered her voice even further. It was so soft that Will only got the gist of what she was saying. Barely. "One more thing. I am only going to tell you this once. You will only remember what I told you when the time is right. And you will do exactly what I say. That is crucial if you want to win the war against Gaia without suffering anymore casualties. That is why I need you to trust me completely. I need you to carry out exactly what I say. When the time comes, and you remember what I say, get the campers away from camp. The campers and the seven on the quest all trust you. They will listen. All you have to do is to get them out of here." Sable then leaned closer to Will. If Sable had not completely immobilised him, his eyes would have widened in surprise. What Sable told him was so shocking that he almost failed to realise Sable was speaking again.

"Twenty more seconds to six. When the breakfast bell rings, you will find yourself waking up from bed, getting ready to head to the dining area. You will have no memory of this conversation until ten tonight. From tomorrow morning onwards, you will not have any recollection of this conversation until the time is right. Have a great day ahead." With that, Sable took a step back, shut her eyes, focusing her energy in wiping his memory. By the time the breakfast bell roused everyone from their sleep, Will Solace was seen walking out of his cabin, scratching his head and looking quite dazed as he headed towards the dining area. Sable just laid on her bed, completely drained of energy, worrying.

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"Hey, Sable. Have you seen Will's weird behaviour?" Aralien looked at her, trying very hard not to laugh at Will stumbling over a rock while trying to get his scrambled eggs.

"He is usually the least clumsy person in camp. I think he must have drunk quite a bit last night." Amylin shook her head in amusement, watching Will trying to get a firm grip on his plate so it would not shatter on the floor.

"You know Will does not drink. Besides, Chiron has banned alcohol in camp, remember? Maybe he is still feeling the exhaustion from yesterday's training." Sable answered as she put a spoonful of eggs into her mouth. But she did not seemed convinced with her own explanation. Her eyes were fixated on Will, and a frown appeared on her face.

"Yes. He must be feeling so exhausted from all the shouting he did yesterday while we were all training under the hot sun." Aralien muttered unhappily, recalling how hard Will had pushed them during the previous training.

"Well, he is one of the most experienced campers. I think he has done his fair bit of training." Amylin tried to console her sister. It would not do for Aralien to blow up at Will during the training. Unless she fancied running fifty rounds around the entire camp

"You three. Report to the Big House after breakfast. Are you clear?" Clarisse told them in a gruff voice, before striding to her breakfast table.

"What do you think will happen?" Amylin turned to her twin sister and Sable, curiosity evident in her eyes.

"The cabin councillors have been interviewing the new recruits to find potential camp councillors. I happen to overhear Clarisse talking to Chris." Aralien said with a smug look on her face.

"Happen to overhear? Or purposely sneaking up behind them to listen to what they are talking about?" Aralien shot a venomous glare at Sable, who just continued clearing her plate and staring at Will's weird antics, the frown on her face growing.

"That makes sense. After all, all the newly recruited demigods like us are not getting claimed by their godly parents. We are not getting sorted into any cabin anymore. Cabin councillors are kind of redundant. It makes a whole lot more sense to have camp councillors. Or it won't be fair to us." Amylin piped up, looking a lot more excited about going to the Big House.

"Then again, Sable might have a greater chance than either of us in becoming one. We have tough competition, Aralien." Amylin looked slightly deflated after that thought.

"Who says so? In what ways are we lacking? Yes, she might be a tough competitor, but we will crush her in the end." Aralien said heatedly.

"Well, your tough competitor that you are intending to crush, agrees with Aralien. You both will definitely be one of the main candidates for camp councillor. There are quite a few vacancies, you know? You probably don't have to defeat me to become a councillor." Sable plucked her eyes off Will to flash an encouraging smile at Amylin.

"Thanks, Sable. Aralien, we are lacking in so many ways. Both of us will not be able to beat Sable at a fight using any weapons. If she wanted to, I think she can beat us hands down without using any weapons. And Sable is obviously a better strategist. And she has far better relations with the other campers and cabin councillors. Not to forget, she has a much better temper unlike someone I know." Aralien gave Amylin a reproachful look.

"Alright, I think you both should continue this conversation another time. We have to make our way there now." Sable got up from her seat, grabbed her weapons and headed out of the dining hall after taking one last look at Will. Aralien and Amylin followed, not far behind her, still arguing about their chances of becoming a camp councillor. But the sight of Will Solace getting off the bench, then falling flat on his face made them stop in their tracks. His cabin mates helped Will to his feet. After his feeble attempts in trying to convince them he was alright, they lifted his feet of the floor and rushed him to the infirmary.

"Do you think he is okay? Is he poisoned?" Amylin asked worriedly as the three of them jogged towards the Big House.

Sable cursed at herself in her mind. She needed to correct her mistake. Will was feeling the effects of hollowness.

"You two go over first. I need to make a small detour." Sable turned to the both of them.

"But you will be late for the interview." Amylin warned, slowing down.

"Come on. Sable will be alright. We have to get there." Aralien continued jogging, pulling Amylin along with her.

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"Hurry. Fetch Chiron. His condition is worsening by the minute."

"Aralien went to get him already. But what should we do now? He started thrashing around on his bed."

"Bind him to the bed. Make sure he doesn't injure himself even further."

"The other healers are working on it. But we need to find a way to heal Will."

"There's nothing more we can do. We have to wait for Chiron to come and help him."

The infirmary was buzzing with activity. All the healers were all mobilized to help stabilise Will's condition. They were all shaken to see their head healer so weak. The assistant head healer manage to rally all of them to treat Will like any normal casualty. To remain calm, focused on healing and doing what was best for the patient. Amylin just stood at the side, staring at Will, not wanting to be in the way of the other healers rushing around.

She was horrified to see one of the strongest, most dependent person in the camp reduced to such a state. He was the person that the twins looked up to, the person they trusted most. He was like the brother the never had. It was with his help that they were able to fit into the camp so well. Amylin could not bear to see Will in such a state. Will was struggling so violently to escape his constraints and he repeatedly screaming in pain added to the tension in the room. Amylin just could not figure out why Will was screaming as though he lost a leg. There was completely no signs of bleeding or injuries. But, he seemed to have lost all of his fats and muscles in every part of his body, giving her the impression that the insides of his body had collapsed and flattened. His face was deep red, like a cooked lobster. Amylin was in for a greater shock when she caught a glimpse of his eyes through all the commotion. The usual hue of blue in the irises were replaced by a deep green colour, so dark that it was almost black. Will's condition had deteriorated so rapidly.

"Watch out! Will is escaping!" Amylin screamed at a nearby healer, seeing that the leather bonds holding Will to the bed were coming loose.

But the warning came too late.

Will had broken off the leather bonds that fastened him to the bed and started clawing at himself. Amylin watched with increasing horror and disgust as she watched Will trying to rip out his skin from his body. All the healers stood frozen, absolutely lost, as they watched him manage to succeed in peeling of large portions of his skin, revealing parts of his red raw muscle tissue. Blood started oozing out from all the wounds that Will had caused. The temporary head healer just stood on the spot, not knowing how to react. The situation was too nerve-wrecking for him to handle. The healers just stared at him, hoping for some signs of leadership from him. Amylin wanted to rush over and kick him in the head, wanting him to get his act together. Amylin was sorely tempted to start rallying the healers and start delegating the tasks to the healers instead. She wanted Will to have the best treatment he could get. He deserved it. But she never got the opportunity to do so. When Will started screaming his head off, the silence was broken. The healers went into full-on panic mode, having screaming matches with each other.

"Hurry! Stop him! Tie him back to the bed."

"Give him more nectar!"

"He cannot ingest anymore of that stuff. He will burn up!"

"And we won't be able to get him to stay still to feed him that stuff. He will choke even if we manage to stuff it into his mouth."

"Just do it!"

Amylin's jaw dropped to the ground as she witnessed the usually peaceful infirmary turned into a warzone. She tried to get their attention, but no one even spared an ounce of their attention for her. The healers just kept arguing, scaring and frustrating each other. The screaming matches the healers were having did nothing to improve Will's condition. In fact, it only made him claw at himself harder. Her eyes almost bulged out at the sight on that bed. She was reaching her breaking point. She could not just stand by and watch Will suffer while the useless healers just stood around panicking. As head healer, Will had put in all his effort to care for the casualties and to relieve their pain, no matter how hopeless the situation was. He tried his best. He deserved healers that try their best to help him. Not those bumbling idiots in the infirmary that gave up helping him when they have not exhausted all their options,

She let out a deafening scream filled the air, droning out the voices of the others. All the healers finally quieten down and turned to Amylin, only to find her screaming her voice hoarse. "Look at Will. Look at Will."

The sight in front of them was so ghastly that some of the healers ran out of the infirmary, feeling terribly sick. Amylin shot those cowards a look of pure disgust. Their cowardly behaviour was far more sickening than the sight of Will. They were supposed to be trained healers, who should put all their effort in providing the best care for their patients. Not running away with their tails between their legs when they witness a gruesome sight and abandon the patient to his own devices. Amylin prayed for his survival. Hoping that he would be able to give them a severe dressing-down.

Blood flowed profusely from Will's body. He looked like a porcupine, with spines all over his body. His bones were actually piercing through the skin and poking out of his body. They were stained red from the amount of blood that was leaking from the body. Flaps of skin were everywhere. On his body, where it should be, his bed, the floor, the clothes. Yellowish liquid, mixed with the blood was dripping on the floor next to the bed. Will kept tossing around violently on the bed, screaming every time his body pressed against the exposed bones. The healers could hardly recognised that the wailing, screaming figure on the bed was Will.

After what seemed like ages, Chiron finally dashed into the infirmary, Aralien not far behind him. The moment he set his sights of the writhing, bleeding figure on the bed, his eyes widened in astonishment.

"That's… that's Will?" Chiron asked the healers, who just mutely nodded in response to his question.

"Don't touch him for now. Anything we do will not alleviate his situation." Chiron said sadly, shaking his head.

Aralien visibly recoiled at the sight of Will sprawled on the bed, continuously bleeding. Aralien continued wincing as she watched Will trying to use his fingers to push his bones back into his body, muttering in pain. Then, he stopped moving totally and just laid on the bed. He was too exhausted to even move a muscle.

"Isn't anybody going to help him?" Aralien looked at Chiron desperately, who was deep in thought with a frown on his face. She spotted Amylin running towards her, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"No. They are not going to. None of them have been doing anything to help him after his condition worsened. In fact, their continuous arguing made him even worse." Amylin sobbed, hugging her sister. The healers all felt the urge to bury themselves underground when they saw the anger expressed on Aralien's face. They were not eager to be at the receiving end of the hot-tempered girl.

"No. There's nothing else we can do for him. And help from Apollo is impossible now when he is fighting with his Roman personality." This caused an instant uproar. Aralien and Amylin stared at him in shock, not believing that even Chiron was giving up on Will. The healers would have jeered at the twins, if their minds were not preoccupied with will's imminent death. Even Chiron was admitting that there was nothing else they could do for him. They could not save him.

"That doesn't mean that your actions were right. Yes, you cannot do anything to help him. But you shouldn't be aggravating the situation by acting like a bunch of hooligans. Arguing and screaming in the infirmary. Will would have knocked all of your heads together for acting in such an unprofessional manner." Chiron glared at the group of healers. They felt shivers crawling up their spines, knowing they were going to have to pay for their actions after the situation was resolved. They were almost willing to suffer the fury of Aralien to avoid the punishment Chiron was going to come up for them. And the intensive, energy-draining training Will would put them through. Should he survive.

"I remember another person that suffered from the exact same illness. Who was it?' Chiron muttered nervously, his tail swishing back and forth. "Will is suffering from hollowness. Someone tried to temper with his memories, but accidentally felt a huge gaping hole in his soul. Only the people of the past learned that art. Who on earth still have that power?"

"What is that?"

"What can we do?"

"There's no other solution. He is going to die!"

"Quiet!" Chiron raised his voice, stopping the tirade of shouting. He had no more patience for the healers that not only did their job poorly, but also aggravated the situation by causing unrest in the infirmary.

"Gaia, the gods, the giants, the monsters are the only ones that survive the past. But in order to alter memories, close contact is required. Will hasn't been out of camp, so only the gods would be able to do so. But all the gods at present will not be able to temper with Will's memory. They are too weak to so. They do not have enough energy to inflict hollowness in Will. It must be someone with excess energy. Someone who…" Chiron's face paled as alarm bells started ringing in his head.

Chiron's eyes were haunted as he stared at Will's still figure on the bed, his blood still flowing. He should have made her swear on the River Styx never to use those powers again. But he knew that she would not be affected even if she broke her oath. Besides, he trusted her judgement. She would only use those powers if necessary. And Chiron knew she had done this plenty of times. She have an extraordinary amount of control over her energy? But why? What happened this time? What has she done? Without a further thought, Chiron galloped out of the infirmary, dashing to her cabin. Not for his own life. But for Will's. He ran to the only one that could save his head healer from a terrible death.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

Sable went back to her bunk, guilt welling up inside of her. She feared to attempt transferring her energy to Will again. What if she lost control again?

The souls were intricately linked to the memories of a person. In order to carry out the process of erasing the memories of a person, it must be done by someone with the ability to break the bonds between the memories and the soul. Also known as an extractor. The extractor would have to exert just the right amount of energy to cautiously separate the memories from the soul, before extracting those memories from the body. If this process was not done carefully, if too much energy was used, there was a chance that instead of removing the memories, the extractor would have removed pieces of the soul along with the memories. The process would be even more complicated if the extractor only wanted to remove selected memories. They have to be sure that they are breaking the right bonds between the particular memories and the soul. Or there is a high risk that the incorrect memories will be removed.

After treating a large open wound, it must be closed with stitches. Similarly, after extracting the memories, the extractor must use even more energy to mend the broken bonds within the soul, to stitch up the soul so that the feeling of hollowness does not start developing in a person. That is what Sable had done for both Aralien and Amylin. She had permanently remove their previous memories of her using that method without any complications arising. What happened with the twins was the ideal scenario.

The most common complication while carrying out this process would be ensuring the person's soul remain completely intact after the memory has been removed. If the extractor failed to stitch up the soul properly, the person would suffer from hollowness. It is a kind of sickness that resides within the soul. A person possessing a broken soul would feel like there's a part of them missing. And they would try to search for that part and try the mend it. But when they try to do so, they end up ripping even larger holes in their own souls and the feeling of hollowness grows even larger. A vicious cycle forms. The person would try to mend the soul, and create an even larger hole. Ultimately, the soul will be completely ripped apart and a person will cease to exist. Hollowness destroys a person from within.

That is why the Lethe is the most effective way to erase memories as its waters dissolve the bonds between the memories and the soul and wash the memories away, leaving the soul completely intact. It does not break bonds. There was no risk of hollowness forming. But it will leave no traces of memories behind.

Sable sighed. That was why Chiron did not approve of her tempering with the memories of the twins. He was not confident in her abilities as an extractor. Sable herself, though was quite confident. Especially seeing that the twins did not suffer from hollowness, her confidence only grew.

But that was when she had full control over her energy.

For Will's case, it was even more complex. Sable did not intend to remove any memories of his permanently. She only wanted him to temporarily forget a particular memory. And she wanted to be able to restore the memory when the time was right. In order to do so, Sable had to break most of the bonds between the memory and the soul, leaving a single bond connecting them. There would then be a gaping hole in the soul. When she wanted to restore the memory, all she had to do was stitch that memory back to the soul by forming more bonds. If not, the memory will be left dangling, and Will would not ever remember that memory. The problem with this method was the gaping hole. There was no way to close it. Once it is closed, that memory will be permanently lost. The only way the extractor can prevent hollowness from forming would be to ensure not too much energy is exerted while breaking the bonds, so that the gaping hole will be as small as possible.

Sable witnessed Hera carrying out his exact process on Perseus Jackson. If Sable had not create a barrier between Hera's energy and Perseus's soul, Hera's large amount of energy would have completely destroyed his soul. She knew it was dangerous. But she knew that the process can succeed. That was why she took the chance and went ahead to carry out the process on Will.

Initially, Sable was having little trouble breaking the bonds. But due to the increasing amount of darkness dominating her soul, she accidentally lost control of her energy for a mere second. But that second did much more damage than Sable anticipated. Sable thought that the hole in Will's soul should still be small enough to prevent hollowness from forming. And when she witnessed Will experiencing the beginning stages of that sickness, she did not dare divert her attention from him, fearing the hole in his soul would be widening. When she witnessed Will collapsing, she knew her fears were no longer fears.

Will is afflicted with hollowness.

The only way to remedy the situation was to exert even more energy to surround the hole, so that it is forced to become smaller, decreasing the likelihood of hollowness forming. But Sable was afraid that she might lose control of the amount of energy she was transferring into Will again. Chiron had his reasons when he tried to dissuade her from playing around with the memories of others. There were so many things that can go wrong, and the consequences are dire.

She would know. She herself had experienced hollowness. And she would never forget it.

"You don't have a choice. You have to get a grip of yourself and your energy. You cannot leave Will to suffer what you have been through. Besides, you made him a knight in your board game. It's too early for him to be taken.

" Sable took a deep breath and closed her eyes, before concentrating on her descent to a different dimension, making sure her emotional and mental barriers were strong enough. The dimension of souls. Only those who are able to build very powerful barriers to block out their emotions, and those who are of darkness, or are able to resist darkness, will be able to manage this feat. And it takes a few hundred years to be able to learn how to breach the barrier between the dimension of souls and the actual world. That was why not many manage descending into the different dimension. Many already lack the basic requirement to do so. A strong mental barrier. To be able to remain emotionless when in that dimension was crucial. The intensity of emotions in that dimension is multiplied tenfold. The souls were the place were a person's deepest feelings were kept. It is no wonder that the emotions would be far more powerful compared to those on land. Those lacking the barrier to protect their emotions would be overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of emotions coursing through their mind, which could result in the mind and heart stopping.

Even more importantly, those that enter the dimension must have a firm resilience against the darkness. The temptation to succumb to the power of darkness is also much stronger there. That was why only a selected few can use this dimension to their advantage.

Sable included.

Through this dimension, she would be able to identify people from a distance by sensing their soul. She was able to witness the exact amount of darkness in a person's soul. Transferring of her light energy, absorbing the darkness and tempering with memories must also be done in the dimension only.

Blackness tainted all of their souls. That was the first thing that came to Sable's mind the minute she entered the new dimension. Everything was blurred out. The only things that remained in high definition were the souls of each of the campers. This would cause a massive headache to most that attempt this feat as they would have an extremely difficult time trying to navigate around. But not for Sable. She has descended into this dimension far more times than she would have liked.

The shimmering whites in the souls of the campers were all marked with streaks of black that seemed to be glaringly obvious to Sable. They were all murmuring to her, tempting her with the power of darkness. Sable pushed out all the murmurings of the blackness inside their souls with ease, focusing on locating Will's soul. She filtered all the souls, pushing away soul after soul.

The she saw it.

Hollowness had taken hold of Will so quickly. The hole has expanded to occupy a quarter of his soul. Unlike the others, his soul has lost its shimmering white colour. Instead, the soul had a dark pukish green shade of colour, with large patches of black fighting with the green for dominance. Will's soul was already experiencing the later effects of hollowness. It looked like it was rotting. The blackness in his soul seemed to be expanding at a rapidly rate. If not for her emotional barriers, she would have broken down and wailed, pleading Will for his forgiveness, unable to look at the state she caused him to be in. Lucky for her, she did not feel any remorse or guilt when she saw his soul, allowing her to focus fully on healing him. But she knew, the guilt will hit her over and over again when he exits the dimension. She was merely suppressing her feelings for now. They would have to be released.

Knowing that she cannot delay any longer, Sable steadily began transferring some of her energy into Will's soul, absorbing some of the darkness and restoring some light in him. She exerted a constant stream on energy towards the area surrounding the hole, forcing the hole to shrink. The dark greenish colour also started to fade, allowing some hint of the original white colour of the soul to peek through.

Then, she felt it again. That sudden surge of energy that was screaming for its release. Sable struggled to restrain that energy. She minimised the amount of energy that she was transferring, and shifted most of her concentration in containing that energy. She realised that if she lost control of it, Will's soul would be damaged beyond repair. But to be brutally honest, she knew that his death would not be much of a burden to her. How many times has she failed those around her because of her inadequacy? Sable was so used to letting people down, that she was actually quite numb when it actually happened. Of course, with every death she caused, the darkness in her grew even further. But there would be no effect on her emotions.

Sable was sure she was not going to attempt to temper with the memories of others after this incident unless it was absolutely necessary. She did not want to repeat to other campers what she had done to Will. Will was strong. He would be able to endure hollowness for a longer period of time. The others, not so much. Will was going to recover. And he was going to do his duty as a knight in her game. She used all the energy she could spare to contain that rogue amount of energy wanting to wreck Will's body.

She cannot let Will down.

She cannot fail him.

She cannot fail herself again.

And she was going to succeed.

At the end of the day, Sable would win.

η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~η τελική στάση~~~

_Meanwhile…_

"It's already the first of June. And we still do not have a clue on how to defeat Gaia. Or if that is even possible. We don't know how to get to the Athena Parthenos. We do not know how to resolve the rift between the two camps. We don't know how to close the doors of death. And while we try to figure all of those out, there will be a bunch of giants and monsters trying to thwart the plans we don't have. So, basically, we are screwed." Jason Grace concluded. The other six stared at him glumly.

"We do not need you to remind us of the mess we are in." Annabeth muttered, pushing away her plate of eggs. She lost all her appetite after being reminded about all the problems they were facing at one in the morning.

"It's okay. Let's tackle the problems one at a time. There's no way to deal with them all together." Percy Jackson said, drinking yet another glass of blue soda.

"Can we not think about those depressing matters now so late at night? Let's talk about camp!" Leo piped up.

"Which one? The camp you came from, or the camp you shot at?" Piper asked, with a slight grin on her face.

"Hey. In my defence, I was possessed by some weird things, okay. I had no intention to do that." Leo said, hurt evident in his voice.

He turned towards the corner, meddling with some of the devices there for a minute.

"Got it. Guys, we have connection with Camp Half Blood. But, er, it will only be five minutes. And I can only use this once. Plus, if there is no one in Chiron's office, I don't think we can actually talk to anybody. But I think we all need some cheering up now. Let's see what's going on at camp!" The other six rushed towards Leo, watching as Chiron's room began to materialise in the device that Leo built.

Lucky for them, Chiron was pacing around in his room. But they did not feel that lucky when they saw his face looking more ancient than ever.

Chiron turned towards the direction where the image of the seven appeared. He stared at them, silent, his lips sealed together.

"Hi, Chiron. We only have four minutes left. So, how's camp?" Percy Jackson spoke up, his excitement in seeing his mentor once again was evident.

"Hello. Hope you guys are doing well on your quest. Just to update you. The gods are still unable to offer their help. I have a gut feeling that they are not going to be able to until the Romans and the Greeks unite. Get the statue. Use that as a peace offering. Things are not looking up at camp. I had to put the campers into a rigorous training schedule for preparation for war against the Romans and Gaia. Their standard is still not high enough. The healers are an absolute mess. Will Solace almost died today. Camp councillors are going to replace cabin councillors. All the current cabin councillors, plus three new recruits are going to be the pioneering batch of camp councillors." Chiron finished all in one breath.

"We were trying to get some uplifting news to cheer ourselves up. But looks like this talk is just going to add on our already lengthy list of worries." Leo said cheekily.

"Don't worry about us. We will be fine. I need to tell you something before time runs out. Listen up. The three new recruits are Aralien and Amylin, the twin sisters." Chiron stopped, hesitant to say the last one. "And Sable. Watch out for them. They will be great help to you when you come back to camp eventually. Especially Sable. I have decided that she is going to head the camp. All the camp councillors and the campers agreed on that decision. I think you would when you get to know her." Chiron paused, before continuing.

"I am not supposed to tell you this. But, Sable is going to need all your support when you return. She is physically and mentally strong, but she has many many hidden weakness that she conceals very well. I need all of you to promise me, that no matter what happens, you will stand by her and support her. Promise me." Chiron's plea caught all of their attention and suspicion.

"But we do not even know who she is. Why are you so worried for her?" Annabeth asked Chiron gently, sensing his distraught.

"I am really not supposed to tell you. But she did not say I couldn't. She is someone very close to me. So, do me a favour, promise me that all of you will stand by her no matter what. At least be her listening ear. That's all I'm asking for." Chiron pleaded, worry evident in his voice.

"But why?" All seven asked in unison.

"If I am not wrong, time is running out. The connection is going to be cut off soon. All of you swear on the River Styx. That you will try to understand her, try to support her. I am not asking you to trust her immediately. Swear on the River Styx that you all will at least give her a chance."

The seven looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Chiron, you know that if we do swear, and the girl Sable turns out to be the enemy, we will all die." Percy said solemnly.

"Sable will be the last person to turn towards the enemy. She would kill herself before she joins there. Please, trust me. Just do it." Chiron asked desperately.

"If you answer this question, we will do it." Hazel spoke. All of them turn towards her in shock.

"Are you sure?" Frank looked apprehensive about swearing to support a Greek demigod he never met.

With a nod of assurance to the others, Hazel continued. "Is she so important that you are willing to put all seven of our lives at stake in order to save her?"

Chiron went silent, turning to stare at the fireplace crackling behind him. He was unsure about that. Would he really risk the lives of the seven most powerful demigods in the world to save the life of one? Then, he snorted. Deep down, in his heart, he already had an answer. He just did not want to admit to himself or anyone else exactly how important she was to him. Besides, her life was much more valuable and important than all of the seven. If she was dead, there would be no one else available to help them fight the last enemy.

"Yes. I will. She deserves that. So please, just make the oath." Chiron gave them his honest answer confidently. With that, he galloped out of the room, not wanting to witness the hurt expressions of the seven demigods in front of him. Before the seven demigods could call him back and demand clarification, the connection shut down, cutting of the view of Chiron's room from their sight.

All seven of them sat slumped on their chairs, feeling even more down.

"Well, that was certainly uplifting." Leo muttered, his hands tinkering with a random device that he had on his tool belt.

"If we survive this and manage to get back to camp alive, the first thing I will do is to get to know this Sable person for myself. I want to see what is so special about that girl that will make Chiron be willing to sacrifice all of us for her." Percy said, still hurting from what his mentor had told them. He thought he had a place in his mentor's heart.

Annabeth feeling sorely hurt at Chiron's comment, nodded her head in agreement. "If she is truly worth all of our lives, she would be a worthy leader of camp. But if she is not, and she somehow hoodwinked Chiron into putting ridiculous amount of trust in her, we have to drag her down. If she has intentions of harming the camp I love or anyone in that camp, I will not hesitate."

"Hesitate to what?" Frank asked, unable to control his curiosity.

Annabeth turned to him, a real storm brewing in her grey eyes. The smile that Annabeth had on his face gave him the creeps and changed his opinion of Annabeth. She was not just a child of Athena, an excellent strategist and the most rational thinker in the group. She can also be an impulsive, scary fighter that will not think twice to harm anyone that threaten the lives of her loved ones.

"I will kill her. And I will make sure it hurts when I do so."

Chapter 10 is up :) I finished it early this time. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

aviendhaphiragon: I was wondering how to incorporate RA into a 21st century world. I did think of the disapperances and reappearances too. But its complicated and kind of weird. didn't like the idea. So the next best idea was to have the entire world frozen in time :P Hahha I'm afraid that your guess is not very accurate. But it's not a bad guess! I didn't think of Ithila being Will's mum:P  the relationship between Halt and Ithila is supposed to be extremely close. Halt only met Will's mum for an hour at most :P and if you re read chapter 9 again, you will find that Ithila actually died even before Halt met Crowley. So he would have met the girl not long after he left Hibernia. Before the Ranger's Corps was established, or before the war with Morgarath. Even before Halt had reached Araluen. So, nope, Ithila is not Will's mum. But its quite a good guess :)I don't mind you rambling :) I tend to ramble quite a bit sometimes too :P RA is awesome. I was so sad that Royal Ranger would be the last book :( but oh well.


	11. Chapter 11 Trapped

**Chapter 11: Trapped**

AD 2011

Swinging her sword in a downward movement.

"Ignorant campers that don't know the dangers we are facing."

Followed by an upward slash with enough strength to decapitate a monster.

"Junior healers that do not take their jobs seriously."

Swiftly sending a quick stab.

"That idiotic bastard Octavian that completely lost his mind."

Sliding her sword back into the scabbard strapped on her back and pulling out her fighting knives from her waist in a smooth movement.

"Blind Romans that cannot don't have a mind of their own."

Twirling her knives, walking around in circles, waiting to the perfect opportunity.

"Damn giants and Gaia that just would not give us a moment of peace."

Striking when he was off-guard, causing him to fall flat on his face, groaning as he felt a bruise forming on his ribs where he was hit.

All of them did not stand a chance. In less than half a minute, she had disposed all four of her sparring opponents without even getting hit once. Every single slash and jab would kill them in a real battle.

"Why did I even agree to do this?" Will grumbled as he grabbed on Sable's arm to pull himself up.

"You wanted me and Amylin to complete your share of paper work because you wanted to sleep an hour earlier. You agreed to be my sparring partner in exchange." Sable smirked at Will as she went to help Aralien to her feet.

"Sparring partner? More like a punching bag. I feel sore all over. Must you put so much force when you are fighting?" Will winced as he massaged his sore ribs.

"Of course, she must put in that much force. Otherwise, she cannot get the anger out of her system." Amylin tried to help Clarisse up, but the daughter of Ares just sneered at her and got up herself.

"How come you are the only one that Sable went easy on?" Will asked Amylin, eager to know.

"I helped her with the paperwork. You can do that next time too." Amylin could not hold back her snicker when Will groaned even loader.

"Don't be such a whiner, Will. Suck it up." Clarisse walked over to the four of them with a scowl on her face.

"You are not the one that Sable is abusing." Will scowled at Clarisse, massaging his shoulders.

"Alright, that's enough. Your arguing is going to give Sable another headache." Amylin gently said to them, thirstily glugging down a bottle of water.

"I would rather have a headache because of their arguing. Instead of those problems we are facing right now." Sable sighed, throwing both of them a bottle of water each, which they accepted gratefully.

"Everything will be fine. The camp councillors are all behind you." Amylin said firmly.

"Sable gave a sad smile. "I wish that was enough, Amylin. But I'm afraid, we are going to need a lot more to withstand Gaia's attack successfully."

"Maybe we will. You are going to be a menace on the battlefield. Hopefully it will scare Gaia and all the monsters away." Aralien said cheekily.

"Come on! Let's go grab some dinner. I am hungry." Clarisse hurried away to the dining area.

"Don't ever obstruct Clarisse from getting her food. She will knock you down." Aralien said in amusement.

'Sable! Sable!" The four of them turned, only to find Rachel Elizabeth Dare collapsing onto the floor, and bursting into tears.

"Annabeth… Annabeth… she's stuck in Tartarus. With Percy." Rachel cried with tears streaming down her face.

"What? What happened?" The relaxed atmosphere in the training grounds quickly changed to a tense one with their Oracle's outburst.

"The Stoll brothers handed me a note they found when they were burning food to their father. It's from Annabeth, claiming that she and Percy is in Tartarus. And she asked me to pass a message to Reyna." Rachel calmed down momentarily, then tears started pouring out of her eyes again.

"Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus. What are they going to do?"

Sable closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, trying to clear her mind. So it's happening. Percy and Annabeth would try to close the Doors of Death in Tartarus, while the other five, guided by Nico would try to close it from Necromanteion. In a month's time, Gaia would be waking. And her relatively peaceful days will be over.

"Annabeth managed to retrieve the Athena Parthenos and now she is getting Reyna to give it back to us to heal the rift between the two camps." Rachel, who's sobbing was finally reduced to occasional sniffles, stared at Sable.

"How did you know what the note said?" Rachel re-read the note over and over again.

"I merely read what was on the note. You weren't exactly concealing it from our sight." Sable replied in a soothing voice, and Rachel visibly relaxes. Inside, Sable felt the urge to take a hammer and pound her head repeatedly. She has to be more careful about the information she sprouts out from her mouth. It would raise many questions if the camp found out that their leader was withholding important information that could save the camp and the lives of the seven. Even worse, if they found out that Sable was responsible for many of the obstacles the seven faced. Arachne would not be able to latch onto Annabeth when she was falling without any aid. Sable knew that it was necessary for them to enter Tartarus to close the Doors of death. The direct portal to Tartarus was the easiest way she could send Annabeth and Percy to do so. Sable was just doing what she must. Right? Sable did not know. She was still trying to convince herself that she did it out of necessity. How can she convince the camp that her actions were necessary to defeat Gaia if she was not so sure of it herself?

"If anyone can survive Tartarus, it is Annabeth and Percy. And with each other, they will have a much greater chance to do so. Don't worry too much, Rachel." Will said in a consoling voice.

"They are in… Tartarus?" Aralien and Amylin both said in unison, both of their faces showing disbelieving expressions.

"Rachel. Grab Grover and find where in Manhattan the Romans had set up their base. Pass the message to Reyna. She will know what to do from there." The urgency was evident in Sable's voice.

"Are you sure she will know what to do?" Rachel frowned, wondering how Reyna is going to successfully get to the statue.

"Yes. She will have help along the way. Go on." Sable had a small secretive small on her face as she watched Rachel dashed away, hollering for Grover. She could sense Jason dreaming of their conversation. He would know what to do.

"Sable. We are going to grab some dinner. Are you coming?"

"I am skipping tonight's dinner. I need to enjoy some sea breeze. Go on." With a turn of her heels, Sable started walking towards the sea. The three of them just stood there, watching their leader walking in the opposite direction of the other campers dragging their feet towards the dining area, hungry and tired from an entire day of training.

"Do you get the feeling she is trying to chase us away?" Aralien asked quizzically.

"Yes. She is always telling everybody to 'go on'..." Amylin answered.

"And leave me alone. She always forgets to say those last few words." Will joined in the conversation, amused.

"I think she is trying how hide how in need of rest she is." Amylin sighed, watching Sable fading into the distance.

"Why would she be in need of rest?" Will asked the twins, still feeling amused. He could not hold back a laugh when the twins both turned to face him, scowling.

"She trains all day."

"She doesn't eat."

"She doesn't sleep."

"How do you know that?" Will interrupted.

"She finishes all her paperwork early. I don't think that is possible unless she doesn't sleep." Amylin said, shaking her head.

"That's true. Chiron is the one that benefits the most from Sable's appointment as a leader. Loads of paperwork lifted off his aching shoulders. And she willingly does the paperwork of others as well." Will did not look at Aralien, trying not to feel guilty.

"I am surprised she can even lift her sword."

"Or walk."

"I am amazed she even has the strength to talk."

"She is going to fall sick one of these days."

"I bet you a hundred bucks that she will still be training, doing the paperwork and running the camp even when she falls ill."

"I guess I will have to give you the hundred bucks then. For someone who was so reluctant to take up the leadership role, she is pretty serious about it."

"She does put in her heart and soul into everything she do."

"One day, that will be the death of her."

Will gave a sigh of exasperation, after realising the twins did not intend on stopping. "Alright! I get it. Sable is tired."

"As the head healer, you are supposed to take care of the welfare of the campers. I don't think it will do at all for our leader to collapse one day." Aralien turned to face Will, her signature glare on her face, leaving no chances of the offending head healer not understanding what she was implying. Will wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and not come out.

"Come on, Aralien. Leave Will alone. I am sure he got the message." Will silently thanked his guardian angel, who managed to pry Aralien away from him.

But he did not like the smirk the twin sisters exchanged before Aralien stalked off.

"So, you understand what we are trying to say, don't you?" Amylin asked in her usual placid voice, with a gentle smile on her face that definitely did not reach her eyes.

That smile struck an unexplainable amount of fear in Will's heart. He could feel that he would not like what was coming.

"Because if you don't, I will be delighted to help you understand." Will nervously gulped as Amylin slightly tilt her head to the side, scrutinising him.

"Let's just say if we find out that you are adding on to Sable's workload, I am afraid I will not be able to stop Aralien from doing what she wants with you. Like slapping you, punching you, kicking and cursing at you." Will broke into cold sweat, not used to the threats from the usually gentle and kind Amylin. Amylin's hidden side was terrifying. How can anyone be so positively frightening when they have a seemingly genuine smile on their face?

"And I have to admit, I won't make any effort to stop her." Will flinched at this, as If Amylin had shouted at him. On the contrary, Amylin did not raise her voice. Not even one bit. Her soft, gentle voice was sufficient in sending tremors crawling up his spine.

"Aralien and I will do anything to protect Sable's sanity. She does all she can to protect ours. We do all we can to protect hers. And not only because she is my second sister…" Amylin's voice promised terrible retribution for Will, which made him shiver unconsciously.

"But also because she is the leader of this camp. She falls. This camp falls. And as long as I breathe, I will pull all stops to ensure the survival of this camp. I strongly urge you to do the same." Finally satisfied with how shaken Will was, Amylin flashed Will another smile and started making her way to the dining area. Leaving a guilty, horrified head healer in her wake.

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The atmosphere at camp was suffocating.

In the past, camp was an escape for many. An escape from their lives with a single parent, a refuge for those who have been tortured by the outside world, a home for all that felt alone and abandoned. How can anyone feel lonely when they are surrounded by numerous siblings?

It was a sanctuary for those escaping from monsters out to get them, where they would be able to rest comfortably, knowing that they would be safe as long as they remained within the borders of camp.

But now, it felt like a prison.

The campers knew the reason for the intensive training sessions. Why they needed to condition their body in preparation for war. They understood why they had curfews, why they were not allowed to leave the bed before six in the morning, why Chiron seemed to be so harsh to the campers.

They tried really hard to swallow all of their complaints, and went through all the gruelling training sessions, no matter how much anger was boiling inside them.

Yet, all of the campers started losing their great love for their home. They felt so restricted, so constrained.

So painful.

They felt as if they were cooped up in a cage, oblivious to everything else happening in the world. They were completely clueless whether the seven has succeeded or failed in their mission. If they actually need their help to overcome their obstacles. They did not know if they even have the slightest chance of winning against the Romans and Gaia.

But the thing that worried them most.

Was not knowing when Gaia will strike.

Their hearts ache at the thought having to depend their hope on a group of demigods to save them all, while they can only be bystanders, praying for the best.

The throbbing pain they felt was even worse when they thought they had the power to help them, yet they are not able to.

They felt that a thousand knives were stabbing at their hearts when yet another one of campers was lost to them. And they just remained in their prison, watching them fall.

The campers knew Gaia had absolute control over the chessboard. She was knocking down their pawns, one by one, prolonging their suffering. If she wanted, she could have ignored the rules, and immediately brush off the king from the board.

And the campers knew there was little they can do to protect the chess pieces on their side of the board.

What frustrated them, what was really shredding their hearts, was the fact they are not even attempting to try and seize control from Gaia, no matter how impossible it seems.

They wanted nothing more than to stick a knife into Gaia, no matter how ineffective that would be. They would rather die while fighting, than to sit at camp, wanting to be annihilated.

The camp councillors pestered Chiron and Sable at every single meeting to plan an offensive. They had a dust-like speck of chance in defending their camp. Might as well start brainstorming on how they can inflict the most damage onto their enemy.

But Sable and Chiron repeatedly ignore their suggestions, insisting that an offensive cannot be carried out if they did not have a single clue on Gaia's next move. Every argument was effectively ended with one sentence.

"That is a suicide mission." Sable would say firmly, her eyes flashing with anger, warning them not to press the issue any further.

And the other camp councillors did so. But only for a while. The topic of an offensive surfaced at the discussion table numerous times. And Sable and Chiron would always share this knowing glance at each other, and proceed to brush them off. Will, Aralien and Amylin usually sat quiet during these arguments, not giving their opinion.

But the campers and the other camp councillors would not stand for it anymore.

They will free themselves from their cage through force if all negotiations fail.

At the end of the day, the prison will crumble to the ground. And they would be free.

Or so they thought.

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Her heart and mind was in terrible turmoil. After all, who in her position wouldn't be? If the other campers knew half the problems she had, they would rather try to jump off a cliff than figure out a solution for them.

There were so many reasons that were holding Sable back from doing the same. Gaia would consume Camp Half Blood if she died. Albus would not be able to control the darkness in his soul and defeat Voldemort. Harry Potter has already completed his fifth year. Albus cannot fail now. The next few months would be the most crucial and most challenging ones yet. Sable had to be there for him. And she would feel enormously guilty for letting those who depended on her down. Namely, Chiron, the twins, and well, the rest of the camp. Maybe the rest of the world?

Sable growled in frustration, picking a pebble from the sand and flunking it into the sea.

And Halt. Thank god for him. The only one that was actually not adding to her troubles any longer and was her greatest supporter. Despite all the disturbing thoughts floating around in her mind, she had to grin reluctantly when she thought of her recent memories with Halt.

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"Wait. So you are finally convinced with what I have been saying?" Halt was almost tempted to deny it just to spite her. But seeing her face light up and brighten up the whole room, and the colours in her eyes mingling with each other with joy, he could not bring himself to do so.

"Yes, yes. How can I not be? You try not to believe someone that comes to at four every morning for a whole month to repeatedly convince you about anything. And you have very interesting methods of doing so." Halt looked accusingly at Sable, not at all happy with the girl that interrupted his sleep every night.

"So, your sole reason in saying that you believe me was just to stop me from coming every morning? So you can enjoy your beauty sleep? I thought a Ranger would be perfectly alright with having four hours of sleep a day." Sable asked, amused.

"No. We can manage with four hours. But we like to sleep for as long as we can when we are not on assignments. Not like someone who enjoys waking an old man up every morning. Just to continuously talk for two hours and show the poor old man snippets of her memories. " Halt scowled at Sable, whose smile grew wider.

"Oh. I rather like doing that. In fact, I am thinking about adopting it as a hobby. Waking Halt up from his sleep. Doesn't it sound so fun?" Sable said, cheekily.

"I am not worth so much of your time. Basing on all your stories, you would be a very busy person. Don't spend so much time with me."

"My meetings with you are the only things I would gladly spend my time on. And on my training. It is a great way to relieve stress. And I wouldn't give up the opportunity to be able to pour out everything to you." Sable assured Halt.

"Yes. You can pour out everything to me. I don't even understand what you are saying anyway about Gaia and gods and demigods and wars."

"Well, you will have to. Not for now. But soon, you will." Halt just silently prayed that he would never have to.

"Alright, enough talk. Care for a spar? No more archery. I don't need you splitting anymore of my arrows. I don't have time to get new ones yet." Halt looked pointedly at the pile of splintered arrows near the door.

"No problem. But..."

"You need to leave at six. Come on." Halt grabbed his saxe knives.

"Get yourself out of the door now. Don't force me to poke you with these." Sable snickered and got out of the cabin before Halt make good on his threat.

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Then again, she would not die from jumping off a cliff.

Sable groaned at the thought of not being able to visit Halt for the next few weeks. The situation at camp was too volatile. She could only afford to leave the camp for a short while. It would not do for her to be absent in case of emergencies. She was the leader of the camp now.

How she wished she wasn't.

Sable bit her lips, sensing that the campers and majority of the camp councillors were eager for action and disapproved of her seemingly passive reaction to the upcoming war. Yet, she knew that the camp was not ready to make the first strike. Pitting themselves directly against Gaia when they were so weak. What were they thinking?

Gaia is going to rise on the first of August. There was still one more month till that day. The camp cannot make their move before she rises. They will need all the manpower to resist Gaia when she was at full strength. They cannot afford to lose any manpower by launching offensives that would not improve the situation before. Apart from giving the campers satisfaction that they are actually taking action to defeat Gaia.

But what was the point if they cannot live to enjoy the satisfaction?

How can they enjoy it if they knew that because of their offensive, they destroyed all remaining chances to defeat Gaia once and for all?

The only way to convince them to abandon all thoughts of the offensive would be to tell them what was approaching on the first of August.

But that would only introduce a whole new set of problems.

Sable was afraid the campers would not take the news well. Many of them would start seeing that date as their death sentence, and give up all hope of fighting. The camp would be a state of panic. The whole camp might just give up fighting Gaia if they realised that Camp Half Blood would be her first target. Announcing the dreadful event that would happen to them on that day would be akin to a death sentence. That announcement would first kill the motivation to continue fighting in the campers. Ultimately leading to their certain death. And that was the last thing Sable wanted.

The ideal situation was for the campers not to have any clue of when Gaia was rising. So that they have the urge to fight, to take action. But Sable knew that the urge to fight was blinding the campers. It blinded the campers to her sincere attempts to reassure them, the hard work she was putting in to keep the camp running. It robbed them of their rationality, of their ability to work with others.

Of their ability to listen to their leader, who had the full picture of the situation and was doing what was best for the camp.

That urge to fight was destroying the trust the campers had for her.

Sable was going to be their enemy. Their captor that would not let them out of their prison.

And Sable knew there was only one completely insane way for her to keep the campers' trust. To convince them that the cages she was putting them in was for their own good, that it did not benefit her at all.

Sable felt like breaking down. Her insides turned to mush and her legs started wobbling. Intense emotions of guilt, sorrow and pain rushed through her body, and she collapsed to her knees, too terrified to stand on her feet. Just the mere thought of thinking what she had to do incited such a violent reaction. Her mind, her heart and most importantly, her soul, strongly opposed to what she planned to do. How can she actually carry it out if just thinking about doing it affect her so greatly?

Sable was going to have to use another one of her powers that she had forbidden herself to use under normal circumstances.

She would have to face one of her greatest fear once again.

Time for another gruelling visit to the dimension of souls once again.

Chapter 11 is up:) This would be the last time I would be able to do weekly updates :( School is starting for me again and I have to start preparing for A levels sigh. updates will probably be once a month after this chapter. there will be a temporary halt at nearing the end of this years because of promos :( I just cannot write as much as I can during my hols anymore. Well, Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

aviendhaphiragon: Hahhaah nope Ithila is not Galadriel(The name of the elf lady with the ring) and not a hobbit. She is secretly a dragon! HAHAH okay no I am just kidding. Her identity will be revealed in later chapters :) but until then keep guessing! Thanks for your constant reviews :)


	12. on hiatus

Hi guys.

So school has been much stressful and tiring than I expected. Due to the number of commitments I have saddled myself, I won't have the luxury of time of continuing my story. Plus, studies come first and JC Chem, Math, Bio and History are no joke I'm taking one of the worst combis out there. The stuff I have to remember :(

BUT hopefully in the year- end holidays, I will be able to post regularly again. So yes. This story is on hiatus. sob sob sob

But I do have time for one-shots :D

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Look out for the one shot that would be up by this month :D :D


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